Sister Helen on Social Media
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It was great to see former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn a few weeks ago in Chicago. Back in 2011, Gov. Quinn acted with moral courage when he signed a law abolishing the death penalty and commuted the death sentences of every person left on death row in Illinois. Photo by Pat Nabong | Chicago Sun-Times. NEWS: The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a stay of execution to Richard Glossip. The stay was jointly requested by the defense team and Oklahoma AG Drummond. This was great news to learn this afternoon just minutes after I finished a visit with Rich on Oklahoma’s death row! Please join us tomorrow at the Oklahoma State Capitol! 8 years ago, Richard Glossip asked me if I would be there to witness his impending execution. I said yes, but I wasn’t going to let this innocent man die without a fight. With a top-notch legal team and bipartisan group of advocates, we’re still fighting for Rich’s life today. Rich has his 9th execution date set on May 18th. Oklahoma Attorney General Drummond acknowledges serious legal errors in Rich’s case that, AG Drummond says, justify a new trial. Oklahoma County DA Behenna says that the death penalty wouldn’t even be pursued in Rich’s case today. “I do not think that God approves the death penalty for any crime, rape and murder included. Capital punishment is against the better judgment of modern criminology, and, above all, against the highest expression of love in the nature of God.” #mlkday Elwood Jones was released on bond today after spending nearly 30 years on Ohio’s death row. A Cincinnati judge granted Jones a new trial, finding that prosecutors withheld significant exculpatory evidence from his defense team. Photo from the Cincinnati Enquirer. What a privilege it is to be able to share this special day of joy with my friends and family, in warmth and companionship. Felony disenfranchisement is a serious issue, especially in the Deep South. This presentation on Dec. 20th will provide valuable information for lawyers and non-lawyers alike on recent Louisiana laws that have changed voting rules for people who may have been disenfranchised before. In-person and virtual options available. NEWS: Governor Kate Brown today commuted the death sentences of all 17 people who remained on Oregon’s death row. The Governor also ordered the immediate dismantling of the state’s execution chamber. Thank you, Governor Brown, for your courageous moral leadership! Niagara Falls — March 1967 It’s #GivingTuesday. Please donate to our work to end the death penalty. sisterhelen.org/donate/ A little reminder about tomorrow… #givingtuesday sisterhelen.org/donate
Over the coming weeks, we’ll need support from every person who believes it’s unconscionable to execute a man when there are such serious doubts about his guilt and the fairness of his trial. It’s not too late to right this miscarriage of justice.
The first thing you can do to help is contact @governorkevinstitt to ask for a 60-day reprieve of Rich’s execution date. This will allow more time for additional work to happen in the courts and for the Oklahoma Legislature to change the law, if necessary. Please call Gov. Stitt’s office at 405-521-2342 and ask, respectfully and in your words, the Governor to grant a 60-day reprieve for Richard Glossip.
I’ll be coming to you over the next few weeks with more action steps that you can take on behalf of Rich Glossip. We will fight to stop this execution until the very end. Glad to be in this struggle with all of you.
I want to acknowledge all those for whom this day is especially hard. I hold you in my heart.
The photo below was taken at Christmastime, 2009, on death row with Manuel Ortiz. Today, 13 years later, Manuel is still on death row.
