Breaking news: Governor grants clemency

Today Governor Strickland granted clemency to Kevin Keith.

Mr. Keith was scheduled to be executed on September 15, 2010 despite compelling claims and new evidence suggesting he is innocent.

In his statement, Governor Strickland said, "Clearly, the careful exercise of a governor’s executive clemency authority is appropriate in a case like this one, given the real and unanswered questions surrounding the murders for which Mr. Keith was convicted. Mr. Keith still has appellate legal proceedings pending which, in theory, could ultimately result in his conviction being overturned altogether. But the pending legal proceedings may never result in a full reexamination of his case, including an investigation of alternate suspects, by law enforcement authorities and/or the courts. That would be unfortunate – this case is clearly one in which a full, fair analysis of all of the unanswered questions should be considered by a court. Under these circumstances, I cannot allow Mr. Keith to be executed. I have decided, at this time, to commute Mr. Keith’s sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Should further evidence justify my doing so, I am prepared to review this matter again for possible further action.”

Dale Johnston speaks about wrongful conviction

Dale Johnston was sent to Ohio's death row for murders he did not commit.

Parole Board makes recommendation

The Ohio Parole Board recommended against clemency for Kevin Keith on August 18th.

Below is a portion of the statement given by attorney representing Kevin Keith regarding the non-binding recommendation:


The Governor’s ultimate responsibility is to ensure that no human being is executed in Ohio absent absolute certainty. In Kevin Keith’s case, too many questions remain unanswered, and his execution should not proceed as planned.


The Parole Board's own recitation of facts and brief findings cannot avoid facts pointing to the existence of doubt about Mr. Keith's guilt. For example, the Parole Board found that the lineup used to identify Mr. Keith for this crime was "arguably suggestive," and recognized that the "science of measuring the extent to which an event is 'encoded' into memory is imprecise." The Parole Board also noted the there was no "biological evidence linking Keith to the crime." Unfortunately, however, the Parole Board gave "considerable deference" to the jury and courts in making its recommendation. But it is undisputed that no court or jury has ever considered the entirety of the new evidence that raises serious questions about Mr. Keith’s guilt.


Mr. Keith and his attorneys have not had the opportunity to fully utilize this new evidence to defend against the State’s theory, and Mr. Keith and his attorneys have not had the opportunity to challenge State witnesses through the crucible of cross-examination regarding the numerous inconsistencies in their testimony revealed by this discovery of new evidence. Under these circumstances, the Governor cannot be absolutely certain – as he must be – that Mr. Keith is guilty of this crime and deserves the most final of punishments: execution.


We urge the Governor to review the facts of the case on his own, without deferring to courts that have not completely reviewed the evidence before us today.


To read the entire statement, go to www.kevinkeith.org

Press Conference for Kevin Keith

COLUMBUS, OH

Supporters of Kevin Keith held a press conference at the State Capitol Building on August 10, 2010. Supporters include former Attorney General Jim Petro, Ohio Public Defender Tim Young, National Innocence Network President Keith Findley and others.

Death penalty cases should be reviewed

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer (R) told the Columbus Dispatch in an interview that he believes all death penalty cases should be reviewed.

Justice Pfeifer was one of three lawmakers who wrote the current statute enacted in 1981 which brought capital punishment back to Ohio after the practice was held unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 1976.

Justice Pfeifer has been critical of the way this law has been applied over the years, suggesting those who wind up with death sentences may not be those the law sought to punish.

Pfeifer told the Columbus Dispatch in May 2010 that older death penalty cases, had they been tried today under current law and societal standards, would not have resulted in capital punishment.

Read the Dispatch's article.

Festivals are big success

Ohioans to Stop Executions have had tremendous success at community events and festivals this Spring and Summer. As of June 30, more than 450 new individuals have signed-up!

A special thanks to all the volunteers, interns and staff who have made these opportunites a huge success.

Governor grants clemency

Governor Ted Strickland granted clemency to Richard Nields.

Neilds was scheduled to be executed on Thursday, June 10, 2010.

Click to read the Associated Press coverage.

One step closer to exoneration

Ohio may have a sixth death row exoneration in the near future. On March 3rd a federal judge ruled that the county prosecutor may not re-try Joe D'Ambrosio.

D'Ambrosio spent nearly 20 years on Ohio's death row for the murder of Tony Klann. The judge said that prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense and the court which would have changed the outcome of the conviction.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has the story. Click here for more. Photo of D'Ambrosio by Lynn Ischay / Cleveland Plain Dealer.

American Law Institute calls death penalty a failure

The American Law Institute, the body responsibe for creating the legal framework for the modern death penalty, said its work on capital punishment has failed. The institute will cited problems with the death penalty as part of the project's failure.

More from the New York Times.

Executions scheduled: Contact the governor

Kevin Keith is scheduled to be executed on September 15, 2010 despite compelling new evidence suggesting he is innocent.

Please contact Governor Strickland and urge him to grant clemency to Mr. Keith by phone at 614-644-4357. You can also submit your concerns electronically by following this link.

September 15, 2010; Kevin Keith

October 6, 2010; Michael Benge

November 16, 2010; Sidney Cornwell

February 17, 2011; Frank Spisak

March 10, 2011; Johnny Baston

Ohio is on track to execute a record number of inmates in 2010. No state in the US outside the South has more executions scheduled than Ohio for 2010.

Death sentences down, again

The Death Penalty Information Center released its "The Death Penalty in 2009: Year End Report” on December 18, noting that the country is expected to finish 2009 with the fewest death sentences since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. Eleven states considered abolishing the death penalty this year, a significant increase in legislative activity from previous years, as the high costs and lack of measurable benefits associated with this punishment troubled lawmakers.

To read the report, follow this link: DPIC 2009 year end report

Ohio had only one new death sentence in 2009 and executed 5 inmates. Ohio was third among states with the highest number of executions in 2009.

New report on costs by Death Penalty Information Center

The Death Penalty Information Center has released its latest report, "Smart on Crime: Reconsidering the Death Penalty in a Time of Economic Crisis." The report combines an analysis of the costs of the death penalty with a newly released national poll of police chiefs who put capital punishment at the bottom of their law enforcement priorities.

To read the report's executive summary, click here.

To read the full report, click here.

To read DPIC's press release, click here.