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Court Ruling Proof of Death-Penalty Reform Need

A recent court ruling that a man on death row was denied a fair trial is yet another sign that the state's death penalty should be abolished, according to Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (PADP). In the case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that James A. Dennis, convicted and sentenced to death in October of 1992, for the murder of Chedell Williams, was denied a fair trial because the prosecution suppressed evidence of his innocence.
"The fact that it's taken 25 years to address this extreme prosecutorial misconduct is precisely why the death penalty doesn't work," said Kathleen Lucas, executive director of PADP. "This case should send a strong message that it is time for the death penalty to go."
No one has been executed in Pennsylvania since 1999 when Gary Heidnik gave up his right to an appeal. The last person to be executed without giving up the right to appeal was Elmo Smith in 1962.
None of the 178 prisoners on death row will be executed for at least the next two years as Gov. Tom Wolf in February 2015 declared a moratorium on the death penalty.
And for its part, the legislature almost certainly won't act on any changes in the law until the completion of a joint study by the Justice Center for Research at Penn State, and the Joint State Government Commission, under a Senate resolution approved in 2011.
A spokesperson for the Justice Center said they expect completion of the study within a few months.
Whatever the findings, the PADP and other anti-death-penalty groups will be up against the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, which according to Executive Director Richard Long supports enforcement of the current law.
Also Republican candidate for attorney general, John Rafferty, supports the death penalty, a campaign spokesman said.
Democratic candidate for attorney general Josh Shapiro said: "I believe in the most heinous of cases, the death penalty should be an option. However, it is clear from both the research and how it has been used in Pennsylvania that it needs to be reformed."
- John L. Kennedy, for the Law Weekly

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CORRUPT PENNSYLVANIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

9/26/16: 11:00am: WATCHING: CNN (POLICE MURDER PEOPLE & GET AWAY WITH IT)

I SIT HERE DISTURBED THAT COPS, NOT ALL, BUT A BUNCH, HAVE BEEN MURDERING PEOPLE & MOST GET AWAY WITH IT. ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS SAY THEY WERE IN FEAR OR IMMINENT DANGER BUT THE DASH CAM & BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE SEEMS TO SHOW DIFFERENTLY IN MOST OF THESE CASES ON CNN. THAT'S THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED IN THE USA. THE WEALTHY AVOID PRISON BECAUSE THEY HAVE MONEY & POWER & HIGHLY PRICED LAWYERS WHILE THE POOR GO TO PRISON. IF YOU LOOK AT US PRISONS, 98% OF ALL PRISONERS ARE CONSIDERED BELOW POVERTY. IS THAT NUMBER 100% CORRECT, I DON'T KNOW. I AM QUOTING THAT FROM CNN. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR STANCE IS ON THE DEATH PENALTY, HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THERE ARE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. COPS WANT A CONVICTION ON A KILLER OR RAPIST THAT THEY HAVE NO EVIDENCE ON BUT BELIEVE IT IS THE ONE THEY ARRESTED, SO WHAT HAPPENS, EVIDENCE IS PLANTED OR FABRICATED. THE DA'S OFFICE FINDS OUT SOMEONE THEY THOUGHT WAS GUILTY IS INDEED INNOCENT, WHAT DO THEY DO, COVER UP THE EVIDENCE THEY FOUND INSTEAD OF TURNING IT OVER TO THE COURTS & DEFENSE AS IS THE LAW. BUT THEY COVER IT UP & GET THEIR CONVICTION. INSTEAD THEY NOW LOOK LIKE CRIMINALS THEMSELVES FOR COVERING IT UP & LOCKING UP AN INNOCENT MAN. READ THIS ARTICLE BELOW FROM A LEGAL NEWSPAPER, I DON'T KNOW IF HE IS GUILTY OR NOT BUT THE POLICE & PROSECUTION FOUND EVIDENCE THAT HE WAS INNOCENT & WHAT DID THEY DO? THEY COVERED IT UP & HID IT SO HE WAS CONVICTED OF A CRIME THAT THEY WANTED HIM FOR. WE ARE HUMAN, WE ALL MESS UP. THAT'S WHY JURY TRIALS, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS, JUDGES COPS ALL NEED TO BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN THE REST OF SOCIETY. READ ON, MAKE YOUR OWN OPINION. NOT ALL ARE CROOKED BUT WHEN 1 DA DOES THIS, YOU MUST REALIZE THAT THE SYSTEM IS SEVERELY FLAWED & INNOCENT HUMAN BEINGS HAVE BEEN MURDERED BY THE STATE BECAUSE OF CORRUPT & CROOKED COPS, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS & LET US NOT FORGET THE JUDGES. REMEMBER THE PENNSYLVANIA JUDGES WHO WERE GIVEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO KEEP CHILDREN LOCKED UP IN A PA JUVENILE FACILITY. GOOGLE "KIDS FOR CASH IN PA" & YOU WILL FIND THE STORY. THAT'S ALL FOR NOW. GOTTA GET READY FOR YARD. I'M TRAINING FOR A RUN-A-THON THAT WILL HELP RAISE MONEY FOR A HOMELESS VETERANS SHELTER IN SCRANTON. I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO GIVE THEM BUT I CAN RUN FOR DONATIONS. LET'S SEE HOW MUCH I CAN RAISE. HELPING EACH OTHER IS NOT A CRIME. WE ALL NEED HELP SOMETIMES. GOD BLESS, CIAO.

PS: HOW MANY POOR PEOPLE FROM INNER CITIES HAVE BEEN MURDERED BY THEIR HOME STATE ON (DEATH ROW), AS OPPOSED TO HOW MANY WEALTHY KILLERS BEING PUT TO DEATH BY THEIR STATE FOR MURDER? I'M WILLING TO BET THE NUMBERS SUPPORT THE POOR BEING KILLED MORE OFTEN THAN THE WEALTHY.