| |
 |
| 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 (4 juveniles on death row) |
| Number
on Death Row: |
125 |
| Executions
Since 1976: |
22 |
| Race
of Defendants: |
88white (70%), 17 Latino/a (15%), 16 black (13%), 3 Native American (2%), 1 Asian (.8%) |
| Race
of Victims: |
Unknown |
| Racial
Make-up of State Population: |
64% White- not of Hispanic or Latino origin, 25% Hispanic, 5% Native American, 3% black, 2% Asian |
| Innocents
Exonerated: |
YES (6). Jonathan Treadway was released in 1978 after serving three years on death row. John Henry Knapp was released in 1987 after serving 13 years. Jimmy Lee Mathers was released in 1990 after serving 3 years. James Robison was released in 1993 after serving 16 years. Robert Charles was released in 1995 after serving 14 years. Ray Krone was released in 2002 after serving 10 years. |
| Columbia
University Study Rate of Error in Capital Cases: |
79% |
| Murder
Rate: |
8 per 100,000 (ranked 6th out of 51) |
| Governor: |
Janet Napolitano, (Democrat),
|
| Presidential
Vote: |
51% Bush, 45 % Gore, 3% Nader |
| Public
Opinion on the Death Penalty: |
The Behavior Research Center conducted a poll in July 2000 which found that 49% of the public is in favor of a 2-year moratorium. |
| Organizations
Endorsing a Moratorium: |
City of Tucson
The Arc of Arizona (Phoenix)
Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice
Arizona Daily Star
Arizona Minority Bar Association (Tucson)
Arizonans For a Moratorium on Executions (Tucson)
The Artists' Gallery (Williams)
Borderlinks (Vail)
Casa Maria Catholic Worker (Tucson)
Catalina United Methodist Church (Tucson)
Catholic Newman Center, University of Arizona (Tucson)
Catholics Against Capital Punishment, Tucson Chapter (Tucson)
Coalition for Justice and Peace, Arizona State University (Tempe)
Coalition of Arizonans to Abolish the Death Penalty (Tucson)
Derechos Humanos Coalition of Arizona (Tucson)
Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic, Tucson House (Tucson)
Micah International Community (Tucson)
National Lawyers Guild, Tucson Chapter (Tucson)
National Lawyers Guild, University of Arizona student chapter (Tucson)
Northern Arizona Peace and Justice Network (Flagstaff)
The Nuclear Resister (Tuscan)
Pan Left Productions (Tucson)
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson (Tucson)
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, Catholic Social Mission (Tucson)
The San Solano Missions (Sells)
South Side Presbyterian Church USA, Tuscon (Tucson)
Southern Arizona People's Law Center (Tucson)
St. Cyril's Social Justice Office (Tucson)
Students Against Sweatshops, University of Arizona (Tuscan)
Veterans for Peace, Inc., Chapter 13 (Tucson)
YWCA of Tucson (Tucson) |
| Organizations
Working FOR a Moratorium: |
ACLU of Arizona
P.O. Box 171 48
Phoenix, AZ 85011
Eleanor Eisenberg-contact
602-650-1967--(day)
602-650-1376--(fax)
[email protected]
www.primenet.com/~azclu
Amnesty International State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator
Dr. Daniel Georges-Abbeyie-contact
602-953-0173--(day)
[email protected]
Coalition of Arizonans to Abolish the Death Penalty
P.O. Box 42465
Tucson, AZ 85733-2465
Claudia Ellquist-contact
520-792-9867--day/eve/fax
[email protected]
SOLPAE (Sanctity of Life, People Against Executions)
4133 E. Roberts Place
Tucson, AZ 85711
Katherine Norgard-Co-chair
520-325-6240--(day)
520-325-2727--(fax)
[email protected]
Andy Silverman-Co-chair
520-621-1975
[email protected]
|
| Clemency: |
The Governor has primary authority with the advice of the Board of Pardons and Paroles. The Governor needs a favorable recommendation from the Board in order to grant clemency. The Governor is not obligated to go along with the recommendation, however. |
| Who
Decides Sentence: |
Judge. 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: |
Arizona uses lethal injection for those persons sentenced after 11/15/92. Those sentenced before that date have the choice between lethal injection and lethal gas. |
