Jackson Hails Glendening=s Colvin-El Decision
Maryland Governor Commutes Death Sentence
Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. praised Maryland Governor Parris Glendening today for Ahis courageous decision to take a measured approach to the ultimate punishment, the death penalty. The Free State=s governor proved to be a free thinker, and weighed the evidence in the case of Eugene Colvin-El, who has constantly maintained his innocence.
AI joined my congressional colleague from Maryland, Elijah Cummings, at a recent town hall meeting in Baltimore on the death penalty, and the Colvin-El case in particular,@ said Jackson. AState and community leaders there were passionate in their concern that justice may be unjustly administered in Maryland=s death row cases. They were especially concerned about Eugene Colvin-El, who has constantly maintained his innocence.
AGovernor Glendening did not mention a moratorium today, but said he looked closely at Colvin-El=s case and did not have the >absolute certainty= need to execute him. That keeps death penalty supporters in the driver=s seat, but moratorium advocates are clearly sitting up front watching the road.
AThe Governor=s decision still maintains Maryland=s position at the forefront of the national debate about the death penalty. At the urging of state legislators and municipalities that have called for a death penalty moratorium, Governor Glendening has already initiated a $225,000 study on the impact of race on the death penalty. In addition, Marylaners have shown their reluctance to execute prisoners as evidenced by the existence of only 17 people on death row, and the fact that only three people have been executed since the death penalty was restored.
AI look forward to visiting more states like Maryland and my home state of Illinois, where Governor George Ryan has declared a moratorium on the death penalty. I=m advocating a national moratorium on the death penalty.
AI=ve introduced H.R. 4162, the Accuracy in Judicial Administration Act of 2000. The AJA calls for a minimum 7-year national moratorium on all executions, until all inmates currently sitting on death row have an opportunity to explore potentially exculpatory DNA and similar evidence -- which will allow them to prove their innocence. We know our criminal justice system is riddled with errors. We need to make sure that we as a nation do not become killers by forcing innocent people to ride those errors (those of the criminal justice system) into the death chambers.