| |
 |
| 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: |
18 |
| Number
on Death Row: |
7 |
| Executions
Since 1976: |
3 |
| Race
of Defendants: |
5 white (71%), 1 black (14%), 1 Latino/a (14%) |
| Race
of Victims: |
Unknown |
| Racial
Make-up of State Population: |
90% white, 5.5% Hispanic, 4% black, .5% other |
| Innocents
Exonerated: |
YES (1). Jeremy Sheets was released on June 13, 2001, after spending four years on death row. |
| Columbia
University Study Rate of Error in Capital Cases: |
65% |
| Murder
Rate: |
3.1 per 100,000 (ranked 39th out of 51) |
| Governor: |
Mike Johanns, (Republican),
|
| Presidential
Vote: |
Bush 62%, Gore 33%, Nader 3.5% |
| Public
Opinion on the Death Penalty: |
Unknown |
| Organizations
Endorsing a Moratorium: |
Council of the City of Lincoln
Nebraska Legislature (Lincoln)
Archdiocese of Omaha, Social Ministry Commission (Omaha)
Call to Action, Nebraska (Lincoln)
First Mennonite Church, Lincoln, Leadership Council (Lincoln)
Immaculate Conception Parish (Omaha)
Nebraska Catholic Conference
Nebraska Conference Board of Christian Social Witness (Lincoln)
Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, Faith Committee (Lincoln)
Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, Steering Committee (Lincoln)
Nebraskans for Peace (Lincoln)
Notre Dame Sisters (Omaha)
Omaha Catholic Worker Community (Omaha)
Religious Society of Friends, Omaha Society of Friends (Omaha)
Sacred Heart Church (Omaha)
Servants of Mary, Provincial Council (Omaha)
Sisters of Mercy, Leadership Team (Omaha)
United Nations, Lincoln Chapter (Lincoln)
|
| Organizations
Working FOR a Moratorium: |
ACLU of Nebraska*
941 "O" Street , Suite 1020
Lincoln, NE 68508
Tim Butz-contact
402-476-8091-(day)
402-476-8135-(fax)
[email protected]
Amnesty International State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator
Nelson Potter-contact
402-477-5841-(phone)
[email protected]
Nebraskans Against Death Penalty
941 "O" Street
Suite 725
Lincoln, NE 68508
Christy Aggens-contact
402-477-7787-(day)
402-477-7787-(fax)
[email protected]
Shawn Renner
1900 US Bank Building
233 South 13th St.
Lincoln, NE 68508
402-474-6900-(day)
402-474-5393-(fax)
[email protected] |
| Clemency: |
Decided by an executive panel that includes the Governor. |
| Who
Decides Sentence: |
A panel of judges. However, this state must comply with the recent United States Supreme Court decision, Ring v. Arizona, which states that it is unconstitutional to allow judges to increase jury sentences from life imprisonment to death. |
| Method
of Execution: |
Electrocution |
