TCADP

Late last night, starting around 10:50 PM and lasting until after midnight, the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee considered testimony on House Bill 1703, the death penalty repeal bill by State Representative Jessica Farrar.  Representatives Alma Allen and Lon Burnam co-authored the bill.

Rep. Farrar addressed three major flaws of the death penalty: the risk of wrongful convictions; the cost of maintaining it; and the lack of a deterrent effect.

There was a lively discussion among legislators after the testimony of Anthony Graves, who spent 18 years in prison – including 12 years on death row – for a crime he did not commit.  After being questioned by one legislator about why the death penalty wasn’t appropriate for those who are guilty of committing heinous crimes, Anthony responded with his own question: “How do we as human beings decide that we are going to give up on each other?”

The committee also heard from murder victim family members, religious leaders, and organizational representatives, and from Keith Brooks, the son of Charlie Brooks, the first person executed in Texas by lethal injection in 1982).  TCADP Executive Director Kristin Houle testified on behalf of the organization, telling the committee that “the death penalty is no longer the status quo in Texas.”

In addition, the committee received written testimony in support of HB 1703 from Sam Millsap, the former District Attorney of Bexar County.

The bill has been left pending in committee.

You can find more quotes from witnesses and legislators’ responses on TCADP’s Twitter feed, @TCADPdotORG, and on Facebook.  Thanks to TCADP Program Coordinator Vicki McCuistion for capturing the spirit of the hearing!

Read an account of the hearing from the Associated Press, which provides additional insight into the committee members’ responses to witness testimony, and from Houston Public Radio.

You can also watch the video here (you will need RealPlayer).

TCADP is deeply grateful to everyone who endured the long wait for the committee hearing to begin and for HB 1703 to be called, particularly all those who testified. A huge shout out also goes to the intrepid members of the TCADP Lobby Corps who attended the hearing and stayed with us until the very end, providing critical moral support.   Thank you!!

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Thanks to your incredible support and generosity, TCADP just won an extra $1,000 for having the most donors between 1:00 and 2:00 PM through the Amplify Austin campaign!!  So far, we’ve raised more than $3,700 (not including that extra $1,000).  It’s been a fabulous day!

We are grateful to Kenjol Capital Management for sponsoring the $1,000 booster prize between 1:00 and 2:00 PM.

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MEDIA ADVISORY
November 26, 2012

CONTACT: Kristin Houlé, Executive Director
512-441-1808 (office); 512-552-5948 (cell)
khoule@tcadp.org

Death Penalty Dialogue to Feature Dallas Faith Leaders

Austin, Texas – On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, four prominent Dallas-area religious leaders will gather for the first time to participate in a public conversation about the death penalty. The event, entitled “A Faithful Conversation on the Death Penalty with Dallas Faith Leaders”, will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Grand Lounge at Paul Quinn College.  It is free and open to the public.

Participating in the event are these faith leaders:

• Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church
• Rev. Dr. Wes Magruder, Chair of the Board of Church and Society of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church
• Rev. Stanley J. Meyer, Bishop Assistant for Leadership and Disciple Life in the Northern Texas – Northern Louisiana Mission Area of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• Deacon Charles Stump, Director of Pastoral Services for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas

Their conversation will focus on the challenges of moving Texas away from a culture of vengeance toward a culture of accountability that does not rely on the death penalty; how faith leaders and people of faith can take a more proactive role in educating their congregations about this issue; and the challenges of addressing the death penalty from the pulpit.

This event is occurring at a critical time, as Dallas County now accounts for more death sentences in the last five years than any other jurisdiction in Texas.  Juries in Dallas County imposed eight new death sentences between 2008 and 2012, including two this year.  This accounts for nearly 20% of all new death sentences in Texas over this five-year period. In comparison, Harris County juries imposed 5 sentences in the same timeframe.  Dallas also accounts for more than 30 exonerations based on DNA evidence.

WHAT: “A Faithful Conversation on the Death Penalty with Dallas Faith Leaders”

WHEN: Tuesday, December 4, 2012, 7:00 to 9:00 PM

WHERE:  Grand Lounge, Paul Quinn College; 3837 Simpson Stuart Road; Dallas, Texas 75241

“A Faithful Conversation on the Death Penalty” is free and open to the public.  To RSVP, call (512) 441-1808, email info@tcadp.org, or go to http://tcadp.org/faithful-conversation/.

This event is sponsored by: Catholic Mobilizing Network; Citizens of Mizpah; Dallas Friends Meeting; Dallas Peace Center; Friendship-West Baptist Church; General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church; Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation; North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church Board of Church and Society; Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Mission Area of the E.L.C.A.; Pax Christi Dallas; Texas Catholic Conference; and Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.

For information on the death penalty in Texas or background on this event, or to arrange an interview with any of the participating religious leaders, please contact TCADP Executive Director Kristin Houlé at khoule@tcadp.org, 512-441-1808 (office), or 512-552-5948 (cell).  Details on the event are available at http://tcadp.org/faithful-conversation/.

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Last week in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, (“Time to End the Death Penalty in Texas,” April 10, 2012), columnist Bob Ray Sanders called on the abolition movement to “gather steam [and] wage an all-out legal assault and awareness campaign to change these barbaric laws one state legislature at a time.”  This call has already been heard in Connecticut, where last Wednesday – after nearly 10 hours of debate – the Connecticut House of Representatives passed legislation to abolish the death penalty by a vote of 86 to 62.  This followed Senate passage of the bill by a vote of 20 to 16.   Governor Dan Malloy is expected to sign the bill into law at any moment, making Connecticut the 5^th state in 5 years to abandon the death penalty.

Momentum has been building for several years now, both nationwide and here in Texas where we see signs of progress in the decline in executions and historic low number of new death sentences.  We need your help to continue to gather steam!  Please donate to TCADP today to advance these ongoing awareness campaigns in communities throughout Texas:

• In Bexar County, where we just finished a speaker’s tour with death row exonoree Juan Melendez.  Juan participated in 10 events in 4 days, reaching hundreds of community members and students with his inspiring story of hope and survival. Watch news coverage of his visit.
• In El Paso, where TCADP members recently participated in a training to hone their advocacy and outreach skills.
• In Dallas, where members will gather this Sunday to learn about upcoming initiatives and where Texas death row exonoree Anthony Graves will address the congregation of Friendship-West Baptist Church.
• In Bryan/College Station, which hosted a visit earlier this month by Jan Brown, who shared her own personal journey on the death penalty in the wake of the murder of her daughter, Kandy Kirtland, 25 years ago.
• In Houston, where TCADP will participate in several important gatherings this summer, including the Texas State Democratic Convention, the Texas Black Expo, and the national convention of the NAACP.
• In Austin, where members are engaged in a religious outreach effort that will culminate in an event with Sister Helen Prejean this fall.

It takes people power, time, and financial resources to rally our forces and gather steam for these campaigns.  You all have a pivotal role to play in our efforts.

Bob Ray Sanders ends his column with this declaration and call to action: “We are a nation that should be better than this.  Let’s vow to end capital punishment in this country, now and forever.”

I know that you share this vision for justice, too.  Please donate today to fulfill our vow to end the death penalty in Texas!

Thank you for your support and generosity.

p.s. Consider becoming a TCADP Partner for Justice by making a recurring gift on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis and ensuring a steady, reliable source of steam for abolition!   Go to www.tcadp.org/donate for details.

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MEDIA ADVISORY
April 17, 2012

CONTACT: Kristin Houlé, Executive Director
512-441-1808 (office); 512-552-5948 (cell)
khoule@tcadp.org

Death Row Survivor to Address Friendship-West Baptist Church

Anthony Graves to Join Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III in critical conversation about death penalty

Austin, Texas – Texas death row exonoree Anthony Graves will join Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church, on Monday, April 23, 2012 for a conversation about how he survived nearly two decades of wrongful incarceration.

On October 27, 2010, Anthony Graves walked out of the Burleson County Jail after spending 18 years in prison – including 12 years on death row – for a crime he did not commit.  Prosecutors dropped all charges against Graves and declared him innocent after conducting their own investigation of the case.  He is the 12^th person in Texas to be wrongfully convicted and removed from death row and the 140^th nationwide.  Since his release, Graves has spoken about his experience with the Texas death penalty system to audiences throughout the United States and around the world.

Graves will be visiting Dallas at a critical time, as concerns about the risk of wrongful conviction continue to call into question the reliability and fairness of the criminal justice system. Dallas County accounts for 102 death sentences and 47 executions in Texas since 1976, and ranks second only behind Harris County in use of the death penalty.  Dallas County also now accounts for 30 exonerations based on DNA evidence.

WHAT:            “Escape From Death: The Anthony Graves Story”: Dr. Haynes and the community will engage in a conversation with
Anthony Graves about his experiences of being
exonerated from death row and life after prison.

WHEN:             Monday, April 23, 2012, 6:30 to 7:30 PM

WHERE:           Friendship-West Baptist Church, 2020 W. Wheatland Rd., Dallas, Texas 75232

WHO:               Sponsored by Citizens of Mitzpah and the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

More information about Anthony Graves is available at http://tcadp.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Anthony-Graves-Fact-Sheet.pdf.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Kristin Houlé, TCADP Executive Director, at 512-441-1808 (office), 512-552-5948 (cell), or khoule@tcadp.org, or Danielle Ayers, Minister of Social Justice for Friendship-West Baptist Church, at 972-228-5200 ext. 226 or dayers@friendshipwest.org.

To arrange an interview by phone or in person with Anthony Graves, please contact Kristin Houlé.

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Please make plans to join TCADP for two “can’t miss” events this month in Dallas!

On Sunday, April 22, 2012 from 5:30 to 7:30, TCADP will host a “Metroplex Members’ Meeting” at La Madeline restaurant, 3072 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75205 (214) 696-0800 (Reservation under the name of Laura Seipp). Please RSVP by Friday!

During this meeting, NCADP Texas State Campaign Coordinator Anita Grabowski and I will provide an overview of TCADP and our strategy for moving the death penalty issue forward both statewide and in high-use counties.  We’ll then talk about some specific initiatives that we have in place or plan to pursue in Dallas County, as well as hear your ideas for Tarrant County.  After that, we’ll turn things over to death row exonoree Anthony Graves for some words of inspiration and open it up for discussion about ways you would like to get involved locally.

This gathering is open to all TCADP members and supporters in the Metroplex, particularly those who are new to the death penalty issue or to TCADP and are interested in becoming involved in local activities. Dinner will be provided by TCADP. Please RSVP by Friday!

Then, on Monday, April 23, 2012, Anthony will share the stage with Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, the Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church, for a conversation about how he survived 18 years in prison, including 12 years on death row in Texas, for a crime he did not commit. This special event will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at Friendship-West Baptist Church, 2020 W. Wheatland Rd., Dallas, Texas 75232. It is free and open to the public.  Share the flier with your friends and family!

Please contact Kristin Houlé khoule@tcadp.org or 512-441-1808 with any questions you might have about either of these events.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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The TCADP 2012 Spring Newsletter has been mailed to members!

Read it Now!

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