Politics & Government
Should Georgia Repeal the Death Penalty?
As a mentally retarded inmate faces execution Monday night, vigils are set to take place around the state, including at the state capitol and the site of death row in Jackson, Ga.
http://tinyurl.com/lht8cj6
Update - 12:50 a.m. 7/17/13: Warren Hill’s execution has been reset for Friday at 7 p.m. by the Georgia Department of Corrections. More here: http://tinyurl.com/kzws3lm
Update - 3:55 p.m. 7/15/13: Warren Hill received a temporary stay of execution Monday afternoon as Fulton County Superior Court Judge Gail Tusan will hear challenges centering on lethal injection drugs from the condemned killer’s lawyers on Thursday morning. Read more here: http://tinyurl.com/of8ohh7
Original story - Georgia is one of 32 states that permits the death penalty and is set to execute its 54th inmate since 1976 on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Georgia Diagnostic State Prison in Jackson, Ga.
Warren Hill, a mentally retarded inmate who killed a fellow inmate in 1990, is scheduled to die by lethal injection. Hill has twice received a stay of execution in the last year, but it appears now that only the U.S. Supreme Court can prevent his execution Monday night.
Hill's attorneys have argued that he shouldn't be executed because he's mentally disabled, but the state contends such a mental retardation hasn't been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
A 4:45 p.m. press conference from Georgians For Alternatives to the Death Penalty is scheduled for Monday at downtown Atlanta’s Woodruff Park, and it will be followed by a march to the state capitol for a 6:30 p.m. rally and vigil. It will be among 11 vigils held statewide.
Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In May, the state of Maryland repealed the death penalty a year after the state of Connecticut did the same, joining four other states that have done so since 2007. How do you feel about the death penalty? Should the state of Georgia repeal it?
Patch user Greengirl last week commented on the questions by writing:
Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“I hear people complain all the time about how ineffective the government is. The DMV, the sidewalks, the potholes, crumbling infrastructure and all sorts of government corruption. Yet, these same folks who argue that are government is inept think we should trust this same government to execute it's citizens. Life in prison is just fine by me. I don't need the state to execute anyone in my name and I certainly don't believe that the state system is reliable enough to ensure that 100% of those executed are guilty. If one innocent person is killed by the state, that is too many.”
How do you feel?
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.