Today's Wilmington News Journal posts, "Exonerated death row survivors spread message to halt death penalty," by Nichole Dobo.
Two men who were on death row before being found to be wrongly accused spoke Thursday night in Newark at the invitation of advocates who would like to abolish the death penalty.
Kirk Bloodsworth and Shujaa Graham, members of Witness to Innocent, shared their experiences at the University of Delaware as part of a series of events supported by a group of local religious leaders and the Delaware Repeal Project.
In the coming days 15 members of Witness to Innocent will attend events at Delaware churches and community hubs, including the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington, in an effort to promote Senate Bill 19, which would end the death penalty in the state.
On Saturday, a group of local religious leaders plan to gather to call on state leaders to support the measure during an event at Limestone Presbyterian Church, 3201 Limestone Road, in Wilmington. The public is invited to gather at the church at noon Saturday to speak to members of Witness to Innocent, see a presentation and take part in a roundtable discussion.
"Death penalty repeal supporters mobilizing," is by Jen Rini for Delaware Newszap.
Supporters of the death penalty repeal are ramping up outreach events despite a stalemate among state lawmakers.
When Sen. Karen Peterson, D-Stanton, and Rep. Darryl Scott, D-Dover, unveiled Senate Bill 19 nearly a year ago, it was immediately met with strong passions.
The legislation would abolish the death penalty, but keep death penalty sentences for the 18 men currently on Delaware’s death row.
Hours of public hearings and debates characterized the middle of the 147th legislative session. The bill narrowly passed in the Delaware Senate by an 11-10 vote, but it has remained tabled in the House Judiciary Committee since April 30.
Proponents of the repeal, through the Delaware Repeal Project, a coalition of 28 local, state and national organizations working to eliminate Delaware’s death penalty, began outreach in October to spark community interest. Now, they are mobilizing across the state.
"Death row survivors to visit Delaware," is by Chris Flood at the Cape Gazette.
Kirk Bloodsworth spent nine years in jail, two of them on death row.
Bloodsworth was convicted in 1985 of sexual assault, rape, and first-degree premeditated murder for the 1984 rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl in Rosedale, Md.
In 1992, DNA testing proved his innocence. Bloodsworth became the first person in the United States to be exonerated from death row because of DNA testing, and he remains the only person exonerated from death row in Maryland.
Maryland has since repealed the death penalty. Today, Bloodsworth crisscrosses the country trying to convince people in other states the death penalty should be abolished.
WDDE-FM posts, "Advocates renew push to repeal death penalty in Delaware," by Sean Carlson.
Advocates of repealing Delaware’s death penalty law hope they can change some minds this week.
A number of public outreach events this weekend seek to educate the public and politicians throughout the First State about Senate Bill 19, which would roll back capital punishment in Delaware. That bill passed the State Senate early last year, but has remained stuck in the House Judiciary Committee since last April.
Brian Boyle is the campaign director for the Delaware Repeal Project, the group organizing the statewide outreach from Thursday to Sunday. He says he believes the repeal of Delaware’s death penalty is inevitable.
"Death Row Survivors Urge Lawmakers To Repeal Death Penalty," at WMDT-TV.
On February 21, The Delaware Repeal Project, Witness to Innocence, Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty, Amnesty International, Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation, and The Delaware Center for Justice will host a reception at the Delaware Theatre Company to welcome exonerees to Delaware. The reception which starts at 6:00 p.m., will be followed by the play The Exonerated at 8:00 p.m.
You can find more at the Delaware Repeal Project and at Witness to Innocence.
Earlier coverage from Delaware begins at the link. You can jump to coverage of last year's repeal legislation. Also available, more from Witness to Innocence.
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