Death Penalty Topics

Death-penalty

Since 1996, Democracy Now! has closely followed the national debate over capital punishment in the United States. See our interviews with key scholars, journalists and activists over the years. We have covered extensively the death row cases of Troy Davis and Mumia Abu-Jamal.

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  • Davis

    Remembering Troy Davis: Questions Remain over Whether Georgia Executed Innocent Man One Year Ago

    One year ago today, the state of Georgia executed Troy Anthony Davis for a crime many believe he did not commit. He was put to death on Sept. 21, 2011, despite major doubts about evidence used to convict him of killing police officer Mark MacPhail, including the recantation of seven of the nine non-police witnesses. As the world watched to see whether Davis’s final appeal for a stay of execution would be granted by the U.S. Supreme Court,...
    Sep 21, 2012 | Story
  • Jeanne_woodford

    Prop 34: Ex-San Quentin Prison Warden Jeanne Woodford Backs California Measure to End Death Penalty

    The former warden of San Quentin State Prison, Jeanne Woodford, joins us to discuss why she has come out in favor of Proposition 34, a ballot initiative to abolish the death penalty in California. Home to nearly a quarter of the nation’s death row population and in a state coping with budget crisis, independent analysts estimate that getting rid of the death penalty could save California taxpayers $130 million annually. The latest polls...
    Oct 25, 2012 | Story
  • Duane_buck

    Prosecutor Seeks Stay of Execution for Texas Prisoner Duane Buck, Sentenced to Death for Being Black

    Although Duane Buck’s guilt is not in question for the 1995 murder of his former girlfriend Debra Gardner and her friend Kenneth Butler, critics say jurors in his case were led to choose a death sentence over life without parole based on testimony of a state psychologist who argued that African-American criminals are more likely to pose a future danger to the public. We’re joined by two guests: Linda Geffin, the second-chair prosecutor...
    Apr 01, 2013 | Story
  • Willie_jerome_manning-1

    Mississippi to Execute Willie Manning Tonight After Rejecting DNA Tests & FBI's Admission of Error

    UPDATE 3:25 p.m. EDT: The Mississippi Supreme Court has granted a stay of execution in the Willie Manning case.

    The state of Mississippi is preparing to execute an African-American prisoner tonight, despite an unusual admission from the FBI that its original analysis of the evidence contained errors. Willie Jerome Manning was convicted of murdering Jon Steckler and Tiffany Miller, two white college students, in 1992. The execution is going ahead...

    May 07, 2013 | Story
  • Willie_jerome_manning

    Mississippi Supreme Court Issues Stay of Execution of Willie Jerome Manning

    The Mississippi Supreme Court has blocked the execution of Willie Jerome Manning just hours before he was scheduled to die. The case attracted national attention after the FBI admitted that its original analysis of the evidence in Manning’s case contained errors. Last week the Mississippi Supreme Court refused to allow new DNA testing that could prove Manning’s innocence.
    May 07, 2013 | Web Exclusive