Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 4.19.23

We discussed and also want to thank Sam Heath of the Equal Justice USA Evangelical Network for their very successful event: The Death Penalty in Alabama: Where WE Are and How to Respond Faithfully. They highlighted 2 calls to action: the Toforest Johnson Banner Tour and the Death Penalty and Sunday materials. We were also encouraged by the fact that, and we quote: “There is a conversation happening about a potential faith leader coalition or grassroots coalition forming in Alabama. There is already a loose organizational coalition that meets regularly, but there is much that faith and grassroots leaders can do. If there is any interested in forming and being a part of a coalition like this, please reach out to Sam Heath ([email protected]). “

We are very grateful and encouraged by this initiative of Equal Justice USA Evangelical Network and it is our plan to stay in touch with Sam Thank you also for providing our contact information! As there are several faith groups who visit us on death row we will be talking to them about this initiative, give them the information about this resource and encourage them to get in touch with Sam Heath.

We also discussed, as we have so often, the importance of going where the other is and as Alabama considers itself very Christian there couldn’t be a better initiative for this state!

An encouraging topic for discussion was Louisiana whose Gov. Edwards publicly called for an end to Louisiana’s death penalty as legislative session begins. After all it is also a Southern state! Unfortunately another Southern state, Florida, is heading in the wrong direction.

We were glad to hear that according to Toforest Johnson’s lawyers, more than 400 people attended the Greater Birmingham Ministries event and hope that the U.S. Supreme Court listens!

And finally:“Sixteen years after David Phillip Wilson was sentenced to death for killing a man during a 2004 burglary, the state of Alabama turned over a letter allegedly written by an accomplice saying she was the one that beat the victim with a bat until he fell. ““For almost twenty years, since August 2004, the State of Alabama through its District Attorney for Houston County and its Attorney General has hidden, withheld, and actively obstructed the disclosure of a written confession by petitioner’s co-defendant,” Wilson’s lawyer, Bernard Harcourt, wrote in a court filing.” The question is: What else is the State hiding?

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. You encourage us and make all the difference. Stay safe!

                                                             Esther