Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 7.8.26
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey set a 30-hour time frame for the execution of Jeremy Williams. The execution must occur between anytime Aug. 13 and 6 a.m. Aug. 14. Jeremy Williams is a volunteer because he wants to save the murder victims’ families further grief and as a way of atoning for what he did.
Please help 26 men get justice by clicking on this link https://wethejury-al.com/ and following instructions and let’s get rid of jury override and finally make it retroactive! We thank our friends at Alabama Arise for their ACTION ALERT on this issue! Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise, says the coalition “We the jury” was founded to ask Governor Kay Ivey to grant clemency to the 25 men who are on death row due to judicial override of a jury, which the Alabama Legislature ruled to be unconstitutional in 2017.
“We The Jury—a new coalition of jurors, judges, attorneys, elected officials, community advocates and activists—is urging Governor Kay Ivey to grant clemency to death row inmates who were sentenced by judicial override, a now-illegal sentencing scheme that allowed judges to override a jury’s life sentence recommendation in favor of the death penalty.”
The most important thing you can do right now for Jeffery Lee and the others is:
Call Governor Ivey. Tell her the jury said life.
Governor Ivey’s office: (334) 242-7100
Justice Robert Bernard Harwood, Jr. who served on the Alabama Supreme Court from 2001 to 2007 after nine years as a Circuit Judge in Tuscaloosa County wrote:
“The remaining question is one of fairness and justice. Should individuals sentenced to death under a system our state has since rejected be executed simply because they were sentenced before the law changed?”
“Wherever Christians are most concentrated and hold power as governors and legislators is where the death penalty continues to hang on. Ninety-five percent of executions happen in the Bible Belt. The Bible Belt is the death belt in America. That’s why this is not just a social issue, but a deeply spiritual and theological one.”The quote is from the second of the 2 articles recommended by our friends of Death Penalty Action: ‘God commands us not to kill’: Faith leaders protest 50 years of executions After 50 years of death row, resistance has never been stronger And of course it is also a racist and poverty issue.
Our Amnesty friend in south Wales “ had 30 people write cards – they are fairly equally between Jeffery, Toforest and Rocky. Some have written to the Governor or DA (as suggested). The cards have been posted and hopefully the recipients will start to receive our wishes/lobbying. It is the first time we have done this and it will be repeated at forthcoming events which will hopefully add to the pressure from over here. Also, Frank Brehany examines how the death penalty is applied and delivered in Alabama.
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
