As
Oklahoma’s death penalty continues its descent into chaos, conservative icon Richard
Viguerie weighed in on the state’s capital punishment program. Citing
wrongful convictions, botched executions, and Oklahoma’s repeated attempts to
execute Richard Glossip despite a lack of evidence, Viguerie called on the
Sooner State to repeal the death penalty. He said,
"Oklahoma's systemic failures and Glossip's case in
particular are emblematic of what is wrong with America's death penalty. The
death penalty's problems are a confluence of things that all Americans loathe: a
big, broken, costly and dangerous government program prone to
mistakes..."
Share your
concerns
Let
your conservative and libertarian friends know why you and an increasing number
of Americans are concerned about the death penalty. Click
here to share Richard Viguerie’s op-ed on Facebook!
Conservatives Concerned in the
media
CCATDP
and our allies were back in the media exposing the death penalty’s many failures
and sharing stories about our recent successes. Here are some of our
favorites:
- The international news outlet Reuters covered CCATDP and the conservative movement to repeal the death penalty. The story was picked up by the New York Times, Yahoo!, Daily Mail, Business Insider, and many others.
- CCATDP was prominently featured in articles from the Huffington Post, Red Alert Politics, Tulsa World, Chattanooga Times Free Press, and the Cleveland Daily Banner.
- In advance of the Utah Young Americans for Liberty convention, I was a guest on Utah’s NPR radio as well as the Beehive State’s Rod Arquette radio show.
- I penned an op-ed for the Daily Caller, and in the article, I presented the conservative case for granting Duane Buck, a Texas death row inmate, a new, fair sentencing hearing. I also authored a piece for NonDoc highlighting the reasons conservative Oklahomans should be concerned about their death penalty system.
Conservatives Concerned in the
field
I
traveled to Cleveland, Tennessee where I spoke at an event
at Cleveland State Community College. Death row exoneree, Ray Krone, and I
presented to a crowded room of students who were eager to learn about
Tennessee’s broken death penalty.
After
my trip to Tennessee, I flew to Salt Lake City to speak
at the Utah Young Americans for Liberty convention. Conservative and
libertarian activists from across the region attended the event, and they
expressed their concerns with the death penalty in great numbers.
Meanwhile,
CCATDP’s Ben Jones journeyed to Orlando for the Florida Young Americans for
Liberty convention where he also enjoyed overwhelming support from the
attendees.
Upcoming
On
Saturday, April 23, CCATDP will be exhibiting at the Life/Peace/Justice Conference at Villanova University in Philadelphia,
where pro-life activists will be gathering to learn and take action on a variety
of life issues, including the death penalty.
For
the third year in a row, I will return to the North
Carolina GOP convention to exhibit alongside members from the North Carolina
Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty group. The event is May 6-8, and
I hope to see you there!
Help us kick off the next phase. In the last few hours we smashed our goal of 365,000 signatures to get the Justice That Works Act of 2016 on the November ballot. We’re so grateful to everyone who stepped up to help us make it happen. But our fight to end the Death Penalty is far from over.
Help us kick off the next phase in our campaign by being one of the first in your area to chip in to our California Victory Fund:
| ||||
 | ||||
We’re committed to ending the barbaric practice of capital punishment, beginning with California -- the largest Death Row in the Western Hemisphere.
The last time the Death Penalty was on the California ballot, we missed our shot to end it by just 2% But this time we can -- we must -- win. For victims’ families, for California taxpayers and for the innocent lives the Death Penalty puts at risk every day. Can we count on you to stand with us? | ||||
| http://go.justicethatworks.org/CA-Victory |
Update on "Ivan's Prayer for Justice". In just one month, Ivan's petition has received over 96,000 signatures. He is so appreciative of your support. Please keep sharing this petition to help convince Governor McAuliffe to stop Ivan's execution! Help us reach 100,000 signatures!
Ivan's Prayer: The Case for Clemency. Please Stop the Imminent Execution of Ivan Teleguz, an Innocent Man.
Of the three "witnesses" in this case, two have admitted they lied. The last "witness" is the actual murderer, who has confessed to the crime. Ivan Teleguz is innocent. Take action NOW ... Ask Governor McAuliffe to stop the execution.
Note: The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily stayed Ivan's April 13th execution, to allow the Supreme Court time to consider and rule on his case. Please keep asking Gov. McAuliffe to stop Ivan's execution, by signing the petition and sharing.
Governor's email: https://governor.virginia.gov/constituent-services/Communicating-with-the-governors-office
Governor's telephone: 804-786-2211
Sign the petition: www.change.org/p/ivan-s-prayer-for-justice
To learn more about the case, go to: www.ivansprayerforjustice.org
The Commonwealth of Virginia plans to execute an innocent man, Ivan Teleguz. We need to make sure Governor McAuliffe knows that there is too much evidence of Ivan’s innocence to allow this execution to go ahead. Please join the call for the Governor to intervene.
The government’s case against Ivan was based on false evidence. Three men said that Ivan hired Stephanie’s killer. But two of those men have since admitted that they lied in court – and sworn under oath that Ivan was not involved. The third, Michael Hetrick, confessed to killing Stephanie. He was offered a deal that spared his own life in return for saying that Ivan hired him to commit the murder.
The prosecutor coerced the witnesses. The witnesses have sworn under oath that they gave false testimony at trial because of threats from the prosecutor and promises she made to improve their sentences.
The prosecution tried to influence the jury by saying Ivan was involved in a made-up murder. At trial, the prosecutor argued that Ivan should be sentenced to death because he was involved in another murder in Pennsylvania, and was highly dangerous. It was later revealed that the testimony about the murder and the prosecutor’s argument were completely made up—the murder never even happened.
There is evidence that calls into question every part of the Commonwealth’s case against Ivan. There is too much doubt for Governor McAuliffe to allow this execution to go ahead. Please help make sure he knows that The Commonwealth is about to execute an innocent man.
Please help save an innocent man. Join the call for Governor McAuliffe to intervene.
Visit ivansprayerforjustice.org to learn more about Ivan's case.
Visit Facebook and Twitter for case updates.
The Commonwealth of Virginia plans to execute an innocent man, Ivan Teleguz. We need to make sure Governor McAuliffe knows that there is too much evidence of Ivan’s innocence to allow this execution to go ahead. Please join the call for the Governor to intervene.
The government’s case against Ivan was based on false evidence. Three men said that Ivan hired Stephanie’s killer. But two of those men have since admitted that they lied in court – and sworn under oath that Ivan was not involved. The third, Michael Hetrick, confessed to killing Stephanie. He was offered a deal that spared his own life in return for saying that Ivan hired him to commit the murder.
The prosecutor coerced the witnesses. The witnesses have sworn under oath that they gave false testimony at trial because of threats from the prosecutor and promises she made to improve their sentences.
The prosecution tried to influence the jury by saying Ivan was involved in a made-up murder. At trial, the prosecutor argued that Ivan should be sentenced to death because he was involved in another murder in Pennsylvania, and was highly dangerous. It was later revealed that the testimony about the murder and the prosecutor’s argument were completely made up—the murder never even happened.
There is evidence that calls into question every part of the Commonwealth’s case against Ivan. There is too much doubt for Governor McAuliffe to allow this execution to go ahead. Please help make sure he knows that The Commonwealth is about to execute an innocent man.
Please help save an innocent man. Join the call for Governor McAuliffe to intervene.
Visit ivansprayerforjustice.org to learn more about Ivan's case.
Visit Facebook and Twitter for case updates.
