tuckergurl

A New Post

I wrote an entry about my feelings around Kenneth Foster's historic commutation for The Huffington Post.  I am feeling inspired to my toe wet in activism work again.  So inspiring!

Deadline on The Sundance Channel

What a fitting thing to happen my last week at work. We just found out that Deadline will be showing on The Sundance Channel for the month of January. So now, I am scrambling to get the word out to folks.

For those of you not around for this, I am one of the Producers of a documentary about the death penalty. Governor Ryan issued blanket clemency to all 167 men and women on death row in Illinois. Our film shows his journey to make that historic decision. The blurb on The Sundance Channel does a better job of describing it than I do. They use lots of big words like class disparities and tainted evidence. The film was at The Sundance Film Festival in 2004 and broadcast on NBC in July 2004.

Most of my friends have seen it. A few of you have secretly admitted to me that you have not seen it, so here is your LAST CHANCE. (OK, not your last. I mean, you could rent it on Netflix.) If you have seen it on NBC, this is the Director's Cut (aka the version we made for theaters) so check it out.

It will be on The Sundance Channel. If you are poor like me, you do not have it. But here are the dates anyway:
**PREMIERE** Monday 01.09.06 at 09:00 PM
Thursday 01.19.06 at 09:45 AM
Thursday 01.19.06 at 05:30 AM
Tuesday 01.31.06 at 10:00 AM

Scary

Beth put this up on the Deadline Blog. I was so shocked that I had to share:

Texas doctors who perform abortions without parental approval or after the third trimester could face capital murder charges because of a new law that takes effect this week, a prosecutors group says.

Whoa! Capital murder charges! That is insane.

Texas Court Rules That Half of the Defense Team Can Be Asleep

This story posted on the Death Penalty Information Center website is an example of what is wrong with the criminal justice system! Oh dear:

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has ruled that a man whose attorney slept through portions of his 1992 death penalty trial should not get a new trial because he had another less experienced attorney who remained awake. In its ruling, the Court denied George McFarland's (pictured) claim of ineffectiveness of counsel and upheld his death sentence. "We conclude that, although one of his attorneys slept through portions of his trial, applicant was not deprived of the assistance of counsel under the Sixth Amendment because his second attorney was present and an active advocate at all times," wrote Judge Cathy Cochran.

Cross Posted on The Deadline Blog.

No More Death Penalty In New York!!!!!

Well, the state Assembly has voted to take the death penalty off the books for years to come. It's a huge victory!!! Hopefully this will make other states evaulate their capital punishment systems.

Of course you wouldn't know that this HUGE this has happened since Britney Spears' pregnancy got all of the coverage today. Who really cares if she's pregnant?? But anyway ...

Check out this quote from Pataki. He is no friend of mine. None at all:

Mr. Pataki, a Republican who plans to disclose by summer if he will seek a fourth term, said on Tuesday that it was "outrageous" for Democrats to derail the death penalty in a committee.

"The Assembly leadership's 'so what' attitude toward criminals, whether they're sex offenders, deadly drivers, or heinous murderers, is simply shameful," Mr. Pataki said.

Don't Cry For Me Argentina

I haven't mentioned some big news! I am going to The Buenos Aires Film Festival for Deadline. We were all allowed one film festival abroad. I was patient and turned a few down. Stockholm in October -- too cold. Geneva -- too boring. All of my pickyness has finally paid off!

If you have any suggestions on where I should go, let me know. I haven't been abroad in two years so it's about time. My Passport expired and upon looking at it, I realized that I got it when I was 19 years old! Wow, how time flies.

A Disturbing Article In A Local Newspaper Sparks A Debate About The Death Penalty

(I originally posted this on The Deadline Blog but thought you guys might be interested in it. It also took a long time to get the info together!)

This is one of those news stories that David Letterman should get a hold of. If I didn’t know the chain of events, I wouldn’t believe it. Here’s how it all happened:

Supreme Court Bars Death Penalty for Juvenile Killers

In a huge move, The Supreme Court forbid the execution of minors (under 17) at the time of the execution:

The 5-4 decision throws out the death sentences of about 70 juvenile murderers and bars states from seeking to execute minors for future crimes.

The executions, the court said, were unconstitutionally cruel.

It was the second major defeat at the high court in three years for supporters of the death penalty. Justices in 2002 banned the execution of the mentally retarded, also citing the Constitution's Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishments.

The New York Times has a great article about this. Another great step.

Cross Posted On The Deadline Blog

If You Have Some Spare Cash

I imagine you do not but the coolest organization in the United States, The Southern Center for Human Rights is trying to raise some money. It seems two supporters will match contributions received before January 15, 2005.

The Center was created in 1976 to respond to the deplorable conditions in prisons and jails in the South and the United States Supreme Court’s decision that year allowing the resumption of capital punishment. Since its creation, the Center has been engaged in litigation, public education, advocacy, and work with other organization and individuals to protect the civil and human rights of people prosecuted in the criminal courts – particularly those facing the death penalty – and confined in the prisons and jails of the South.

Steve Bright is the head and he is featured in Deadline. He is a saint. Truly. Everyone who works there is. No one at the Center is paid more than $40,000 a year and considering the fact that Steve Bright is one of the greatest lawyers on planet earth, that's remarkable.

So, if you got some cash, go to their website, write down their address and mail em a check.

I Saw Democracy At Work

I went to the first of two death penalty hearings here in New York. These hearings are to discuss whether or not to reinstate the death penalty in New York State.

I wrote about the hearings for the Deadline blog so check it out.