Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 1.3.24

The State of Alabama has set 1.25.24 as the execution date for Kenneth Smith. The Talking Points are at https://www.phadp.org/execution-alert-kenneth-eugene-smith/ on our website. Please: Take action to spare Kenneth’s life at bit.ly/KennethSmithAL or at athttps://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-the-execution-of-kenneth-smith and write to the Governor as well! We hope to see you on the 23rd on the steps of the Capitol at 11:00 a.m. for a press conference after which we will deliver the petitions to the Governor. This will give us the ability to garner maximum exposure and government pressure for both Kenny and the wider anti-nitrogen hypoxia/abolition movement.

Alabama continues to make headlines!

“Alabama plans to execute a man using nitrogen gas. How will it work? Few know.” NBC News

“Echoes of Dostoevsky: An Appeal Against Alabama's Deadly Experiment – Counterpunch “A frequent, fervid critic of Alabama’s death penalty regime in his own right and my sometimes collaborator in the same, Zivot is working overtime to sound the alarm over Smith’s case. Working with Birmingham City School of Law Professor Jon Yorke, Zivot recently submitted a complaint to a panel of UN experts. In a blog post announcing the complaint, Zivot and Yorke wrote: “even though Mr. Smith received an unfair trial, and he has already been the victim of a botched and failed execution, the State still wants to kill him.”

We appreciate the quote from the Rev. Jeff Hood in “Little Rock man helps spiritually guide those executed across the country”: “I think love is the only thing that can push through the horrors of these moments of execution, which is why I keep trying to love,” Hood said.” Also “Death: The Cost Of Conviction: On Kenny Smith, Alabama & Me”, “Stop Nitrogen Hypoxia: Meet Us in Alabama!”

Former Alabama Chief Justice Drayton Nabers and former Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley are among numerous lawyers, former judges and prosecutors who have voiced support for a new trial for Toforest Johnson. Other supporters include former U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, former magistrate Judge John Carroll, and three former jurors. Toforest has gained a new supporter in Kim Kardashian: “Alabama Death Row inmate Toforest Johnson ‘in prison for a crime he did not commit” and Patrick Darrington of the Alabama Political Reporter wrote: “Kim Kardashian: Toforest Johnson is an innocent man.”

We thank all who are working so hard and diligently to stop all killing in Alabama! And as always in closing, we thank all our generous donors who either gave by going to our website and using the “donate” button or who gave directly. Thank you also to all who took the time to read our notes, commented, liked and shared them on Facebook.. Stay safe and be kind to each other!

                                                                              Esther