Upcoming Events
» September 15, 2008
- Berkeley, CA
Panel Discussion on the Death Penalty at Anna's
Jazz Island 2120 Allston Way Berkeley, CA 94704 7-9pm
Exciting Speakers: Elizabeth
Zitrin, Death Penalty Focus Board Member, Aaron
Owens, wrongfully convicted of a double murder
in Alameda County, and Judy
Kerr, lost her brother to homicide, Spokesperson
and Outreach Coordinator for California
Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
The program will be followed by Q & A.
» September 20, 2008,
3:00-5:00 pm - Oakland, CA
"COPE" Support Group w/ Special
Guest David G. Rogers, MFC #3973. Starbucks coffee
and refreshments will be provided. Located at the
East Bay Community Foundation, 353 Frank H. Ogawa
Plaza. FREE PARKING at Clay St. Parking Garage (14th/15th
behind City Hall).
For more information, please visit www.1000mothers.org
or contact Lorrain Taylor at 510.581.0100 or mothers1000@aol.com.
» September 26-28,
2008 - Oakland, CA
Critical Resistance 10 Conference Critical
Resistance (CR) is a national non-profit organization
focused on eliminating the use of prisons and punishment
to "cure" complicated social problems.
There will be several workshops presented at this
conference on the death penalty. More details TBA.
Visit: http://www.criticalresistance.org/article.php?list=type&type=36
for more information or to register. Registration
is free.
» September 27, 2008
- Oakland, CA
PURPLE Gala - As an effort to curb the detrimental
impact of violence, 1,000 Mothers to Prevent Violence
presents it's 1st Annual PURPLE Gala fund-raising
event. Live Entertainment + Great Food + Fabulous
Prizes! RSVP Today: 510-581-0100.
For more information, please visit www.1000mothers.org
or contact Lorrain Taylor at 510.581.0100 or mothers1000@aol.com.
News
August 12, 2008
Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment Hears
Testimony from Victim's Family Member
"Maryland
and the death penalty: Two county residents will
help decide the fate of capital punishment in the state"
- features MVFHR Board Chair VIcki Schieber.
August 8, 2008
Victim's Family Leave Killer's "Ultimate Fate"
With God
Detroit - Twenty-two years later, killer sentenced
to life imprisonment - victim's family calls the life
in prison sentence "the least of [the killer's]
worries." Read article here.
August 6, 2008
Op-Ed in Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram
"Time
to end the death penalty's cycle of violence," by
victim's family member Ronald Carlson.
Victims' Daughter in Maryland Wants Death Penalty
Flaws Fixed
"Correct
flaws, don't end capital sentence, says victims' daughter"
in the Baltimore Sun.
July 30, 2008
Cost of New Death Row Featured on the Front Page
of the San Francisco Chronicle
Read the article here: Death
Row Cost Overrun: $40 Million
Bill Babbitt Testifies in Front of Maryland's Commission
on Capital Punishment
CCV Member Bill Babbitt, who also serves on the board
of directors of Murder Victims Families for Human Rights,
testified at Maryland's Commission on Captial Punishment
first meeting on Monday, July 28, 2008. You can read
about it here:
» Baltimore
Sun article
» Washington
Post article
» WYPR
» Examiner
article
July 25, 2008
Victims' Families in Colorado Work to Repeal Death
Penalty and Redirect Funding to Solve Cold Cases
Victim's family member Howard Morton and his group
Families of Homicide Victims and Missing Persons (FOHVAMP)
have been working to repeal Colorado's death penalty
and use those funds to solve the state's many unsolved
homicides. Click
here to read the story in today's Colorado Springs
Gazette: "Victims' families meet to hear proposal; group
wants to redirect death penalty funding"
July 16, 2008
Dawn Spears Featured on KBAY
On Sunday, July 13, 2008, Sam Van Zandt from KBAY's
morning show in San Jose aired an interview with CCV
Member Dawn Spears. You can listen to it here.
July 8, 2008
Bill Babbitt Featured in the Sacramento Bee
On July 6, 2008, Claire Cooper featured Bill Babbitt
in her "Special to the Bee" entitled "Death
penalty and race: Scales of justice may weigh heavily
against blacks." Read it here.
July 1, 2008
CCV Members Feautured in the Media
Following the release of the Commissions report on
the death penalty, several CCV members were interviewed
throughout California.
» Bill
Babbitt on KPFK's Uprising
» Bill
Babbitt in the Daily Journal
» Judy
Kerr on KTVU
» Judy
Kerr on KQED's Perspectives
» Aqeela
Sherrills on KTLA
June 30, 2008
Commission Report Highlights Many Problems with
California's Death Penalty and Encourages Californians
to Consider Alternatives
Sacramento
-The California Commission on
the Fair Administration of Justice issued the state's
first comprehensive report on California's death penalty
today. The 116
page report identifies many problems with the state's
death penalty, concluding that it is "dysfunctional"
and quoting the Chief Justice of the California Supreme
Court who said the system may "fall of its own weight"
if nothing is done.
During a series of hearings around the state, the Commission
heard from a growing segment of advocates who oppose
the death penalty: family members of murder victims
whose personal experiences with the system have lead
them to become ardent, outspoken advocates for alternatives
to the death penalty.
Fifteen survivors of murder victims opposed to the
death penalty testified at the Commission's three public
hearings in Sacramento, Los Angeles and Santa Clara.
These witnesses, who are active with the coalition California
Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
(CCV), are also available for comment this week.
Many CCV family members told the Commission that funds
now spent on the death penalty would be better used
helping victims, solving unsolved murders, and preventing
violence. Others emphasized the negative impact of the
death penalty appeals process on survivors of murder
victims.
Witnesses included:
* Nick and Amanda Wilcox (Grass Valley), who testified
on the anniversary of their daughter Amanda's murder.
Amanda was working at a mental health clinic when she
was killed by a patient. The Wilcoxes have become leading
advocates for expanding treatment for the mentally ill
to prevent violence.
* Barbara Zerbe Macnab (San Francisco), who testified
that, despite her mother's pleas for clemency, two men
were executed for the murder of her father when she
was just eight years old, causing even more anguish
to their family.
* Aba Gayle, who testified that, despite her requests,
the Placer County District Attorney continues to pursue
lengthy appeals seeking to reinstate the death sentence
for the man who killed her daughter Catherine. At the
time of the trial, Aba Gayle supported the death penalty.
Ten years later, she realized that holding on to the
anger and anticipating the execution would not help
her heal.
* Vera Ramirez-Crutcher (Ventura), who testified about
the anguish she experienced when her son David was murdered
trying to protect his girlfriend, but who has always
opposed the death penalty on religious grounds.
* Dawn Spears (San Jose), who became the primary caretaker
of her three grandchildren when her daughter Tameca
was murdered, testified that she is opposed to the death
penalty, as was her daughter.
"I am pleased that the Commission reported noted the
moving testimony of the people who have personal experience
with the system," said Judy Kerr, spokesperson and victim
liaison for California Crime Victims for Alternatives
to the Death Penalty (CCV). "Ours is an important voice
in this debate." Family members of murder victims were
instrumental in the persuading the New Jersey legislature
to end the state's death penalty.
Aundré Herron, a former prosecutor who now represents
people on death row and whose brother, Danny, was murdered
remarked, "The death penalty does not help us heal;
rather than honoring my brother, executing his killers
would have forever tied his memory to an act of revenge."
"Californians should consider how we can best help
the survivors of murder victims rebuild their lives
and prevent more murders?" asked Kerr. "I believe the
first step is to replace the death penalty with permanent
imprisonment."
California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the
Death Penalty and the Family Violence Law Center Hold
a Vigil for Silence the Violence Day
On Wednesday, June 18, 2008, the Ella
Baker Center for Human Rights held Silence
the Violence Day. The Silence the Violence project
is a grassroots, anti-violence movement based in Oakland,
CA. On Silence the Violence Day, people all across the
Bay Area, around California and across the United States,
held simultaneous vigils to call for peace in their
own neighborhoods, advocate for the creation of effective
violence prevention programs, and to honor the lives
of those lost to violence. 25 events took place in the
Bay Area.
California
Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
and the Family Violence
Law Center held a vigil at the MacArthur BART station.
Here are some pictures:

Judy Kerr speaks on Silence the Violence Day.

Lorrain Taylor sings a beautiful song for us.
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