Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 4.9.25
Alabama has set 4.24.25 as the execution date for James Osgood. As per Mr. Osgood’s request there will be no appeals to contact Governor Ivey and no protests against his execution.
As always our focus is on reaching out to possible new allies and so we are writing to churches in Alabama hoping that they will stand with us. All we are asking is that they join our email list and then at a time of an execution sign on to a letter of faith leaders, sign petitions and if possible attend vigils.
We appreciated that the death penalty was included in the Hands Off demonstrations which took place in all 50 states. Thank you Death Penalty Action! Unity is what we need!
We discussed the article Death Row Case Would Test Limits Of Federal Habeas Review – Law360 UK
with possible implications for all of us, to quote the attorneys of Michael Reynolds, Brown and Campbell: “Defendants, such as Michael and the thousands of other habeas petitioners every year, should not be deprived of their life without an evidentiary hearing, a full examination of the facts and evidence of the constitutional violation. And it should not depend on what court the petitioner is in,” the attorneys said. “That’s why we think this is such an important case for the Supreme Court to take.”
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER – ‘Truth is the antidote to the abuse of power,’ says Bryan Stevenson. “Finally, I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated and the condemned.”
Our friends at Death Penalty Action highlighted:” Some states are moving to expand the harshest punishments. Others are quietly stripping away protections and due process. People are being pushed through a broken system with no real safety net.” And as we know executions are increasing and as USA TODAY reports: “Alabama, California, Florida and Texas − were responsible for the majority of new death sentences, totaling 20.” The “fierce urgency of now,” a phrase from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, emphasizes the critical need for immediate action and not waiting for a future resolution of state murder, aka the death penalty.
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
