Newsletter: November 2016

Saturday, December 31, 2016
Our newsletters are sent to members at the end of every month. They are composed of articles (usually US death penalty-themed) written by members for members.
We publish an abbreviated version here a month after it was sent out. If you'd like to write for the newsletter and support us, click here to become a member.

Did you know... only 20 of the 153 exonerations have been due to DNA evidence? This means an overwhelming majority of the exonerations have been due to factors such as false informant testimony.
DPIC

AMICUS NEWS

FINAL CALL: *Art for Amicus*

Get your tickets now for our big annual fundraiser! Champagne reception, art exhibition and auction, and talks by American comedian Reginald D Hunter and British artist Bob & Roberta Smith. The last tickets are available here. If you can't make it, please consider making a donation here.

Coming soon: One-month internship in New Orleans

Keep an eye on our website for more details regarding this amazing short-term internship opportunity in the Big Easy.

Christmas wrapped up!

Get your Xmas wrapping paper at Northbrook Fundraising! 15% of online sales benefit Amicus.


 
IN THE NEWS

Pro-death penalty referenda prevail in three states; Kansas retains four justices attached for death penalty decisions

On 8 November 2016 the world watched with bated breath as America voted for their newest President. However, many on the global stage forget that during these elections Americans do not simply vote for a President, they vote for new members of congress, for 12 new state governors, state and local officials, judges, and they vote on controversial policy proposals through binding referendums called ballot measures. Read more...

Kenyan president commutes all death sentences 

Last month heralded a landmark event for the history of capital punishment in Kenya, when President Uhuru Kenyatta commuted all 2,747 inmates on death row. The inmates (comprising 2,655 men and 92 women) were spared their sentences in a radical decision by the President.  Read more...

Florida Supreme Court vacates capital conviction on innocence claim

After ten years, on 27 October, Florida Supreme Court announced a unanimous decision to vacate a double murder conviction that only required a jury vote of 7-5 and 9-3 respectively (i.e. no unanimous recommendation for death) to warrant imposition of the ultimate punishment in the first instance. Read more...

New study finds Oregon death sentences are significantly more costly than life sentences

The debate surrounding capital punishment often focuses on the legal and moral limitations of executing a citizen for crimes that they have committed; however, the recent collaborative study between the Lewis & Clark Law School and Seattle University adds further weight to the argument that death penalty cases are more costly for the state than non-capital punishment cases. Read more...


Please get in touch with any thoughts, comments or queries. We'd love to hear from you!

Amicus would like to thank Caroline Skeet, Shrai Popat, Samantha Lewis and Gerald Maguire for their contributions to this month's newsletter.