| |
 |
| Death
Penalty: |
YES |
| Prohibit
Execution of the Mentally Retarded: |
YES. However, this state will need to redefine its definition of mental retardation to conform to the recent United States Supreme Court decision Atkins v. Virginia, which held that it is a violation of the United States Constitution to execute persons with an IQ of less than 70. |
| Life
Without Parole: |
YES |
| Minimum
Age to Eligible for the Death Penalty: |
16 (2 juveniles on death row) |
| Number
on Death Row: |
39 |
| Executions
Since 1976: |
2 |
| Race
of Defendants: |
29 white (74%), 9 black (23%), 1 Latino/a (3%) |
| Race
of Victims: |
Unknown |
| Racial
Make-up of State Population: |
90% white, 7% black, 2% Hispanic, 1% Asian |
| Innocents
Exonerated: |
1 |
| Columbia
University Study Rate of Error in Capital Cases: |
100% |
| Murder
Rate: |
4.6 per 100,000 |
| Governor: |
Paul E Patton, (Democrat),
|
| Presidential
Vote: |
57% Bush, 41% Gore, 2% Nader. |
| Public
Opinion on the Death Penalty: |
No polls but Tides Foundation sponsored focus groups done in 2001. |
| Organizations
Endorsing a Moratorium: |
Amnesty International, Berea College Chapter (Berea)
Amnesty International, Group 196 (Louisville)
Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburg Monastery (Covington)
Berea College Ace League (Berea)
Berea College Student Government Association (Berea)
Church of the Ascension, Social Responsibility Committee (Louisville)
Church of the Epiphany (Louisville)
Church of the Epiphany, Social Responsibility Committee (Louisville)
Helping Earth and Learning (HELP), Berea College (Berea)
Home Mission Sisters of America, Inc./Glenmary Sisters (Owensboro)
Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Central Kentucky Chapter
Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Jefferson County Chapter (Louisville)
Kentucky Prison Education Project (Frankfort)
The Laura, Inc. (Lebanon)
Mother of God Church, Covington (Covington)
Pax Christi, Louisville Chapter (Louisville)
Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, Justice & Peace Office (Erlanger)
Session of Central Presbyterian Church, Louisville (Louisville)
Sisters of St. Joseph, Whitley City (Whitley City)
St. Catharine Kentucky Dominicans (St. Catherine)
St. Martin de Porres Church, Louisville (Louisville,)
Ursuline of Mount St. Joseph, Leadership Team (Maple Mount)
Women and Men Religious Against the Death Penalty of Kentucky
|
| Organizations
Working FOR a Moratorium: |
State House Reps Bobby Hellfinger (R), Tom Burch (D), Mary Lou Marzian (D), and Senator Gerald Neal (D)
Kentucky Coalition to Abolish Death Penalty
Pat Delahanty – State chair
Kay Gallagher – Campaign coordinator
PO Box 3092
Louisville, KY 40201
502-585-2895 or 581-9154
[email protected]
www.kcadp.org
ACLU – Kentucky
Jeff Vessels - Contact
425 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.
Suite 230
Louisville, KY. 40202
502-581-1181 or 589-9687
[email protected]
www.aclu-ky.org |
| Organizations
Working AGAINST a Moratorium: |
Commonwealth attorneys (prosecutors), unorganized police opposition, and victim's families willing to testify against. |
| Clemency: |
The Governor has sole authority to commute a death sentence to a term of life without parole. |
| Who
Decides Sentence: |
Jury |
| Method
of Execution: |
Previously, inmates in Kentucky were given a choice between lethal injection and electrocution. Those sentenced after March 31, 1998 will be executed by lethal injection. |
