Stoppit Jan 2003

                      THE

    STOPPIT  

“NOT IN OUR NAMES”

              A PUBLICATION OF OHIOANS TO STOP EXECUTIONS    January 2003

STATE HOMICIDE  ALERT RICHARD FOX­­Death date:  February 12 (Wednesday),  probably 10a.m.  Killing site: Lucasville, Ohio We also have a federal homicide alert: Louis Jones is  scheduled to die on March 18 in Terre Haute, Indiana,  the site of federal death row. If this killing occurs, it  would be the third federal homicide since Gregg v.  Georgia (1978). The first two were Timothy McVeigh  and Juan Raul Garza in June, 2001.More on this in  the next issue.

Contents:  Cleveland and Cincinnati Vigils  Jennifer Bishop, National Chair of MVFR,   Will Speak in Cleveland  Sample Letter to the Governor  Journey of Hope Will Come to Ohio  Why Is Richard Fox the One We Execute?   The Richard Fox Case, with background  Vigils at the Statehouse and at Lucasville 

                        Vol. XIII­No.1  

OTSE CHAIR: Alice Gerdeman 513 579 8547 OTSE WEBSITE: http://www.otse.org   HOTLINE: 888 565 4410 (Toll Free)  You may leave a message regarding events you  are planning. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP Please   contact   Governor   Taft   and   urge   him   to  grant clemency to Richard Fox. Ask him to impose  a   moratorium   on   executions   in   Ohio.   Call   the  governor at 614 466 3555. Fax him at 614 466 9354.  Or   email   him   at  [email protected].   A  sample letter for Richard Fox is provided below. Please   circulate   the   enclosed   petition   asking   the  governor to grant clemency to Richard Fox. Please join us at weekly vigils. We now are holding  Friday vigils at the governor’s mansion (6­7:30p.m.),  at the corner of Parkview and Maryland in Bexley.  Nightly   vigils   will   begin   during   the   final   week.  Contact: Michael Manley 614 263 5914. We also are having Wednesday vigils on High Street  at the Riffe Center (noon to 1). Contact: Gary Witte  614 443 6044. 

Cleveland and Cincinnati are holding weekly vigils— see below. Check the hotline for other cities. Please   join   us   at   the   Abolition   Rally:   governor’s  mansion, Saturday, February 1 (2­3p.m.). Please join us at the Statehouse and Lucasville: If  there is no stay or grant of clemency, vigils will be  held at the statehouse and at Lucasville on February  12. There also will be prayer vigils in Columbus and  in other cities across the state.  Please join us in reflection, prayer, and fasting to  witness against the death penalty. Since these  killings are scheduled during the working day, some  may choose not to do “business as normal” on death  dates but instead may pray or keep silent vigil.

These are sidewalk protests against the scheduled execution, with signs, petitions, handouts, and media contact. All who agree with our peaceable, respectful manner of making our witness are welcome. YOU are needed! In case of extreme weather, check for lastminute changes at [email protected], or call 216433-1223. IF THERE IS NO CLEMENCY OR COURT RELIEF, there will be local events Tuesday (2/11/03) at 5 PM downtown, Tuesday evening in a church (TBA), and Wednesday morning (2/12/03) downtown. Some CCADP members will also drive overnight to Lucasville to join the protest outside the prison on Wednesday morning. If you can go with us, please call 216-371-8523; start planning now.

Memorial Vigil for Wilford Berry and John Byrd, and their victims, Wednesday, February 19, 6-7:30pm, governor’s mansion, Parkview and Maryland, Bexley

CLEVELAND VIGILS

CINCINNATI VIGILS

Vigil for the Life of Richard Fox:

Peace and Abolition Vigils:

The Cleveland Coalition Against the Death Penalty is holding weekly noontime sidewalk vigils in downtown Cleveland on Thursdays at the locations listed below:

These are now held every Friday, noon to 1, at the Hamilton County Courthouse, at Central Parkway and Main. Please note that these vigils have moved from Monday to Friday. Contact: Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center--513 579 8547

January 30—Tower City, Public Square (between the curb and the stanchions, the public part of the sidewalk). Noon to 1 PM February 6—Justice Center, Ontario Street at Lakeside (“Portal” sculpture). Noon to 1 PM If there is a stay of execution, vigils will resume at East Ninth and Euclid on the second Thursday in February.

PLEASE NOTE AND RECORD THIS NEWLY ESTABLISHED ROTATION: First Thursday of the month: Justice Center Second Thursday: East Ninth and Euclid Third Thursday: Old Stone Church Fourth Thursday: St. John’s Fifth Thursday (when there is one): Tower City

Ritual Remembering Richard Fox and John Byrd and all victims of violence, Tuesday, February 11, 6:30pm, at the Peaslee Center, 215 East 14th Street, Cincinnati. “On   Feb   11,   the   eve   of   the   scheduled   execution   of   Richard Fox, many will come together to remember   all   victims   of   violence.   Our   hearts are   especially   heavy on this year anniversary of the death of John   Byrd, Jr.   Please join us as we remember all those   friends,   families   and   individuals   who   continue   to   grieve especially the Fox, Byrd, and Buell families.” Contact: Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center­­ 513 579 8547.

 

JENNIFER BISHOP WILL SPEAK IN CLEVELAND Jennifer Bishop will speak on Monday, February 17 at 6:30 P.M. at the Max Wohl Civil Liberties Center, Chester Avenue, Cleveland. Ms. Bishop is the national chair of Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation (MVFR). MVFR is a national organization of family members of both homicide and state killings who oppose the death penalty in all cases. Ms. Bishop has experienced tragedy and loss firsthand and opposes the death penalty from a victim's perspective. Speakers from MVFR are particularly powerful and convincing death penalty opponents. Jeff Gamso, a criminal defense attorney representing many of Ohio's death row inmates will report on the status of Ohio's death penalty. His introduction will emphasize ways to take action against executions in Ohio. The event will be free and open to the public. There will be refreshments and free, safe parking. For more information or to RSVP, call (216) 472-2220 or email [email protected]

SAMPLE LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR The Honorable Robert Taft, Jr. Riffe Center, 77 S. High St., 30th Floor Columbus, OH 43215-6117 Phone: 614-466-3555 Fax: 614 466 5394. [email protected] Dear Governor Taft: Please grant clemency to Ohio death row inmate Richard Fox, scheduled to die February 12, 2003. Richard Fox committed a terrible crime, and he has acknowledged that and is deeply remorseful. I believe he should be held accountable, but I do not believe he deserves to die, nor do I believe that the sentencing process has been fair. Even if the Parole Board was unanimous about this sentence, the judicial system has not been unanimous. Three Ohio judges have dissented during the review of this case, and two of the dissents have come from the Ohio Supreme Court. These dissenting judges have called into question the way the aggravating and mitigating factors were weighed. These judges also arrived at a very different result when they weighed the factors themselves. They noted his mental illness, his background of losses and also

his good record in school and at work, and his good character before the crime and afterwards in prison where he has been a fine inmate who even saved another inmate’s life. They saw he had a single terrible lapse during a difficult period in his life, but they said that Richard Fox should receive a life sentence and not death. I am struck by the series of death and losses in Richard Fox’s life--his natural father died before Richard was even born; his paternal grandparents rejected him after his stepfather adopted him; his first wife committed suicide shortly after their daughter was born. Now his daughter Jessica, with no mother, may lose her father, and Richard’s mother, having just lost her husband, may lose her son. Killing Richard Fox will not bring back Leslie Keckler. Killing Richard Fox will inflict loss and suffering on his family, and we have no way of knowing how seriously that may damage daughter and mother. The Keckler family did not deserve to suffer as they did, but neither does Fox’s family. I appeal to you to grant clemency to Richard Fox. Let him continue to be a father to his daughter Jessica and let him be of service to others in prison. A   few   sentences   or   a   paragraph   could   be   inserted  expressing the writer’s opposition to all state homicide on  moral   grounds  or   religious   grounds.  Some   may  want   to  refer to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that  affirms a universal right to life, without exception (Art. 3). 

JOURNEY OF HOPE WILL COME TO OHIO The Journey of Hope will be touring Ohio between September 26 and October 12, 2003. The Journey will provide an amazing opportunity to get an antideath penalty message out to thousands of people across the state and to move our work forward to end the death penalty in Ohio. It will require the involvement of hundreds of volunteers, both veteran anti-death penalty activists and people brand-new to the issue. The Journey of Hope...From Violence to Healing is a two-week-long, educational speaking tour led by family members of murder victims who oppose the death penalty. These speakers share their stories about the process of healing through reconciliation. They call for alternatives to the death penalty and an end to the cycle of violence that capital punishment perpetuates in our society. Joining with these speakers are people who have been released from death row, death row family members, activists, and friends from around the world. Every year the Journey travels to different areas to spread the message of nonviolence and forgiveness.

They speak to high school classes, church groups, the media, college classes, legislative settings, rallies, and civic and professional organizations. The Journey has been around since 1993, and has reached tens of thousands of people in numerous states. Its anti-death penalty message is particularly effective because it grows out of personal experience with the loss of loved ones to murder. These victims' family members have moved beyond the urge for revenge; they have taken the harder road of forgiveness and healing. To learn more about the Journey of Hope, see pictures and read some of the media coverage it has garnered, please visit www.journeyofhope.org. In addition, we hope to put information specifically about the Ohio Journey on the web in the coming weeks. Please check the Ohioans to Stop Executions website at www.otse.org for a link.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR JOURNEY The organization, Journey of Hope…From Violence to Healing, assists organizers in the state to plan the Journey and recruits murder victim family members and others from outside Ohio to participate. In turn, it will be our responsibility here in Ohio to schedule a large number of speaking events, organize at least a few marches, rallies or other public witnesses, generate media coverage, provide lodging and meals for Journey participants and raise funds to cover costs associated with the Journey currently estimated at $20,000-$40,000. A statewide steering committee now meets monthly to coordinate overall plans for the Journey and takes primary responsibility for fund-raising. Local coordinating committees will be responsible for planning activities and scheduling speaking engagements for the Journey in that area. So far, local planning committees have been set up in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lorain County and Lucasville. Each of these committees will coordinate activities in surrounding communities as well as the city listed. We will be setting up planning committees in other parts of the state. Local planning committees are open to anyone interested in working on this project and are not necessarily affiliated with an

OTSE chapter. In fact, diverse participation in the planning is key to a successful Journey. It is hoped that these groups will include wherever possible family members of murder victims and family members of death row prisoners. Jana Schroeder is serving as coordinator of the statewide steering committee. Anyone who is interested in getting involved at the local or statewide level with planning for the Journey should contact her. She would also be particularly glad to hear from anyone who has ideas for possible funding sources. You can contact her by phone at 937-278-4225, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Organizing a successful Journey of Hope in Ohio is  going  to  require  hard  work  and  the  involvement   of  many   people.   At   the   same   time,   the   benefits   that  come   from   bringing   the   Journey   to   a   state   are  enormous.   The   planning   and   the   Journey   itself  provide ample opportunities for anyone who wants to  do something concrete and positive to change hearts  and   minds   on   the   question   of   the   death   penalty.  Participating in the Journey of Hope can be a life­ transforming   experience.   Please   join   us   as   we  begin the Journey here in Ohio.

WHY IS RICHARD FOX THE ONE WE EXECUTE? By Howard Tolley, Jr.

Ohio recorded 652 murders in 1989, sentenced eight killers to death that year, and has scheduled a Wednesday February 12 execution for one who confessed, Richard Fox. State law permits execution for the worst murderers, where aggravating circumstances outweigh mitigating factors beyond a reasonable doubt. The Ohio criminal justice system singled out Richard Fox as its most deserving killer of the year because of geography and judicial error. Fox deceived eighteen-year old Leslie Keckler into accompanying him in his car; when she rejected his advances he stabbed and strangled her in a fit of anger. He made an inadmissible confession prior to representation by counsel, disputed the kidnapping charge at trial, and acknowledged his guilt at the sentencing. The Wood county prosecutor decided to ask for the death penalty, and the victim’s family approved; prosecutors in many other Ohio counties would have sought a life term based on his personal history and/or objections to execution by the victim’s family. Several judges on the Ohio Appeals Court and Supreme Court found that the trial panel in

sentencing Fox failed to provide the required explanation of its reasoning and by law should have imposed a life term. The trial court did not convict Fox of planning the murder, but its opinion appears to weigh such unproven premeditation to kill as a decisive aggravating factor more significant than all the mitigating evidence presented--admission of guilt, expression of remorse, testimony by numerous witnesses to prior good citizenship and community service, sensitive care for his daughter, model behavior in prison where he rescued a diabetic inmate, expert opinion about a psychological disorder, and his six year old child Jessica’s well being. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Craig Wright joined by A.W. Sweeney dissented from the decision affirming Fox’s death sentence, as did Judge James Sherck on the Court of Appeals; after leaving the bench Wright opposed the execution in statements to the Ohio Parole Authority and other venues. Jeffrey Sutton, nominated by President Bush to serve on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, has petitioned the Ohio Supreme Court to grant Fox a new sentencing hearing. The American Bar Association has called for a moratorium on executions because of serious defects in the criminal justice system. Non-partisan expert commissions in Illinois and Maryland concluded that their state systems have not made reliable judgments about guilt or innocence and which killers should be sentenced to death. Two days before leaving office, Republican Governor George Ryan emptied the Illinois death row and declared: "Our capital system is haunted by the demon of error . . . in determining who among the guilty deserves to die." There is neither deterrence nor justice when our state singles out a single murderer such as Richard Fox as a symbol of our outrage at the 652 killings committed in 1989. Less than 2 per cent of murders result in death sentences for convicted killers. There were 4,830 murders recorded in Ohio from 1983-1990, 81 men were sentenced to death in those years, and since 1999 five convicts (O.1%) have been executed for those crimes. The lengthy judicial proceedings, expensive death row incarceration, and execution of Richard Fox has cost Ohio far more than our taxpayers would have expended to imprison him for life; yet even at a time of extraordinary state and local budget deficits,

money should not be the decisive factor. The cost to our collective humanity is far greater. When Fox petitioned the Ohio Parole Authority for a life term, his daughter Jessica pleaded for his life; the victim’s younger brother Chad argued for execution. Unlike the families of victims whose killers were sentenced to a life term in 1989, the Keckler family has sustained the false hope that a death row inmate’s execution will somehow assuage their inconsolable grief. Murder Victim’s Families for Reconciliation and Sister Helen Prejean offer compelling evidence that executing Richard Fox will create another victim —Jessica Fox—without remedying the Keckler’s terrible loss. How does the state fairly determine which families see an execution and which must accept life term for the killer? The repeated political spectacle of bereaved victims and families of the condemned crying before the cameras affronts the dignity of all. On February 12 an anonymous team of Ohio executioners will administer a lethal cocktail of three drugs to Richard Fox. Doctors taking the Hippocratic oath swear to "Do no harm." After the drugs take effect, an Ohio doctor screened from witnesses by a curtain will certify that life has ended; the official certificate will indicate "homicide" as the cause of death. Richard Fox should serve a life term for killing Leslie Keckler. His daughter Jessica lost her mother while a young child, and the state should not take her father’s life. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to the victim’s family, not to elected prosecutors and politicians. All the other democracies in Western Christendom have abolished the death penalty, just as they abolished slavery years before the U.S. followed. After five executions since 1999, Ohio has 207 inmates on death row and mounting opposition to a flawed legal system and to a cycle of violence that produces new victims. Howard Tolley, Jr. is a professor at the University of Cincinnati

Quotes from Governor George Ryan, Northwestern University College of Law, January 11: …The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu wrote to me this week stating that “to take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, it is not justice. He says justice allows for mercy, clemency and compassion. These virtues are not weakness.” “In fact the most glaring weakness is that no matter how efficient and fair the death penalty may seem

in theory, in actual practice it is primarily inflicted upon the weak, the poor, the ignorant and against racial minorities. " That was a quote from Former California Governor Pat Brown. He wrote that in his book, Public Justice, Private Mercy; he wrote that nearly 50 years ago. Nothing has changed in nearly 50 years.

defense brought forward witnesses concerning Mr. Fox’s mental condition and also concerning his background and character. Richard Fox accepted responsibility for his crime and expressed remorse. Nevertheless, the panel, noting the violence of the crime and the defendant’s planning of the crime, sentenced Mr. Fox to death; despite serious questions about the way the panel weighed the evidence during the penalty phase, the sentence has been affirmed by the higher courts. However, there has been significant dissent at the state level--one judge dissented in the Ohio Court of Appeals and two judges dissented in the Ohio Supreme Court. Two judges dissented again in the most recent Ohio Supreme Court decision rejecting a defense petition for a new sentencing hearing.

Operations Center: Ohioans to Stop Executions 9 E. Long Street, Suite 201,Columbus, Ohio 43215 Phone: 614 560 0654 or 224 7147 Fax: 614 224 7150 Email: [email protected]

At this point, there seem to be no viable legal remedies left, and the Parole Board has unanimously recommended against clemency. The governor is bound by law to receive their recommendation, but he is not bound to follow it. He is free to listen to his conscience and make his own decision. Richard Fox remains deeply remorseful. He has been a model prisoner and is considered a positive influence on other death row inmates. He helped save an inmate’s life during an emergency, and he has maintained a good relationship with his daughter. He is her only living parent.

ISSUES

THE RICHARD FOX CASE Richard Fox was convicted of and sentenced to death for killing Leslie Keckler. On September 26, 1989, Ms. Keckler met Mr. Fox at a Bowling Green Holiday Inn for what she thought was a job interview. Sometime later, Richard Fox stabbed and strangled Leslie Keckler and dumped her body in a drainage ditch. There was no evidence of sexual molestation. Police were led to Richard Fox because there were similarities between the Keckler crime and an earlier “fake interview” that turned into an attempted abduction. The woman escaped and was able to describe the man. Eventually, by means of a circulated sketch, police identified Richard Fox as a suspect and arrested him. Richard Fox eventually admitted that he had met Leslie Keckler for a date. He also admitted that, after she resisted his advances, calling him “an asshole,” he killed her. He told police where they could find her belongings. Richard Fox was indicted “for kidnapping and murder with a felony-murder death penalty specification alleging kidnapping.” Because of pre-trial publicity, the defense asked for a change of venue but that request was denied. The defense then waived a jury and opted for a three-judge panel. The defense disputed the kidnapping charge at the guilt phase, but Mr. Fox was convicted. During mitigation, the

Jury: A three-judge panel rather than a jury tried Richard Fox. The defense has claimed that Mr. Fox was "forced" to waive a jury and opt for the panel because of pretrial publicity. The prosecutor not only made a discovery response to the defense; he also filed it with the clerk of courts. This filing included pretrial statements made by the defendant, so this "confession’ was made available to the press and it was publicized before the trial. Defense requests for a change of venue were denied. The Ohio Supreme Court recognized the prosecutor’s error but rejected the claim that Mr. Fox was forced to waive his right to a jury trial: "Because no attempt was made to seat a jury, no proof exists that a fair jury could not have been seated." Had the attempt been made, the voir dire supposedly would have determined whether or not prejudice against the defendant was a problem. If the defense allowed the attempt to made, however, they would have run the risk of a prejudiced jury had the voir dire failed. In that event, would the higher courts, either state or federal, have recognized the denial of a fair trial and granted relief? The defense obviously didn’t like their odds in this era of “finality, federalism, and comity.” Mitigation: The major issue in the case involves the process whereby the panel weighed the aggravating against the mitigating factors. Ohio law specifies a set list of aggravators and a much broader range of mitigators. It also specifies that mitigators may not be turned into aggravators, nor may

anything discovered among the mitigators be used as an aggravator. However, the courts were not always consistent in their practice, and some confusion arose, especially concerning the role that the nature and circumstances of the crime might play as aggravators. In 1996, The Ohio Supreme Court clarified the situation in State v. Wogenstahl by strictly stating that the only aggravators are the ones in the specified list, and that the nature and circumstances of the crime may be considered only as mitigators, not as aggravators. Unfortunately for Mr. Fox, the Ohio Supreme Court reviewed his case in 1994, two years before Wogenstahl. However, three judges did recognize the serious error in Fox’s case. The sole statutory aggravator was that the murder was committed in the course of a kidnapping and the defendant was the principle offender, but the panel did not limit themselves to that. Judge Sherck of the Ohio Court of Appeals found that the panel "has gone outside the sentencing statute to create a judge-made aggravating factor which the panel then uses to counterbalance all the mitigating evidence submitted; that factor being the ‘violent’ murder." The panel also considered the defendant’s "planning,’ which was, according to Judge Sherck, "inappropriate" since the "planning was not the aggravating circumstance of which he was convicted." The testimony showed only that the defendant planned to deceive the victim, not that he planned to murder her. Judge Sherck also found that the panel had failed to meet the legal requirement that they explain "why the aggravating circumstance is sufficient to outweigh the mitigating factors." When they fail to explain, they leave open the possibility that they may have used non-statutory factors, and they make it difficult, if not impossible, for higher courts to determine how they arrived at their decision. Judge Sherck proceeded to perform his own weighing of the factors and came to a different result. He found that the defendant’s record of "good deeds and community involvement" to be "worthy of extraordinary consideration." He also found that the defendant’s personality disorder, while not qualifying as a factor that deprives him of a sense of right and wrong, definitely should be considered as an "other" mitigating factor, and he would give it more weight than the panel did: the defendant’s personality disorder “altered his perception of reality and led directly to the commission of the murder.” He further found that the defendant’s relationship with his daughter Jessica should be noted. The mother has died and now the father is imprisoned and sentenced to death. The killing of the father would have a "negative" effect on the child. But, even while in jail, the father has affected her life in a positive way. Finally, Judge Sherck found that the defendant has a good record in prison and has shown that he can be, not only "cooperative" but also "useful." In sum, Judge Sherck found that the mitigating factors outweigh the aggravating ones. He would have vacated the

death sentence and remanded to the trial court for resentencing to life imprisonment. In the Ohio Supreme Court, Judge J. Wright of the Ohio Supreme Court agreed with Judge James R. Sherck of the court of appeals and quoted his decision. Judge A. W. Sweeney, J., concurred with Judge Wright. (State v. Fox, 1994.) A serious question also can be raised about the way the majority opinion of Ohio Supreme Court handled Mr. Fox’s mental illness. They not only gave it little weight as a mitigator; they also turned it into an aggravator and thus used it against the defendant. Here is the relevant passage: "Although Fox’s mental disorder may be a mitigating ‘other’ factor, such a disorder tends to undercut any prospect of successful rehabilitation." We might observe that the majority opinion treats the mental illness something like "future dangerousness," Ohio does not have future dangerousness as a statutory aggravating factor. Furthermore, the record shows clearly that Richard Fox has rehabilitated successfully--so successfully that he is a valued inmate who once saved another inmate’s life.

IMPLICATIONS What this case so clearly reveals is the absurdity and inhumanity of the entire mitigation process that assumes that it is rational and possible to divide up and measure utterly immeasurable things. Aggravator and mitigator are two abstractions that coldly separate inextricable life experiences, and these are then mixed in the juror’s or the judge’s minds with subjective factors and values, no matter how hard the jurors or judges may try to control these. They may be mixed with prejudices and deep personal feelings that the jurors or judges may not even recognize, much less control. Jurors and judges are weighing the values of lives, the life of the victim and the life of the murderer, and they are making a judgment about who is worthy to live and who is not. People supporting the death penalty normally don’t talk about the calculated weighing of aggravating and mitigating factors. They say simply, “that murderer is scum, he doesn’t deserve to live.” We may judge the crime severely, but when we judge the murderer himself, the very worth of his life, and when we claim to know the future, to say the murderer cannot be rehabilitated or redeemed, we have committed a terrible wrong. Another terrible wrong is the judgment made, or implied, about the two families--the victim’s and the murderer’s. We feel sympathy for the victim’s family, and lament their loss. But what about the murderer’s family? Do we sympathize with them? Or do we judge them as we judge

the murderer? If the murderer is worthless, he must come from a worthless family, “people like that,’ the ones at the bottom, and if the murderer is worthless, then he can’t be worth anything to his family anyway, so they can’t really be injured if they are deprived of him by state homicide. Is that what we’re thinking?

music during the vigil, please call Jana Schroeder (937 278 4225) or Sister Alice Gerdeman (513 579 8547).

Somehow, it’s hard to dismiss the possibility that we value one family more than another. If we do value them equally, then we have to face the possibility that that we not only apply retribution to the murderer, a life for a life, but also to the murderer’s family--they must suffer as the victim’s family has suffered. How can we justify that? If we do not recognize that, in killing the murderer, we repeat the act of murder and violate the fundamental right to life, the very sanctity of life, which many people do not want to recognize because they no longer consider the murderer to be a human being, then we must recognize that, in killing a family member, we repeat the act of injuring a family, depriving them of a loved one, making them grieve. Are we going to say it’s not the same as what happened to the victim’s family because, after all, the murderer’s family members are not really human beings--they lost their humanity when the murderer did? Of course we won’t say that, but what are we really thinking? Do we even know?

The vigil will take place in the parking lot to the right of the prison driveway. Parking will be allowed in the righthand parking lot. If that lot fills, parking will be available at Valley High School that is only about 500 feet past the entrance to the prison on the other side of the road. However, the driveway to the school parking lot is over 1 mile long. Please do not walk to or from the school alone.

If you have rides to offer or if you are looking for a ride, please call the toll-free Execution Alert Hot Line and leave a message.

Everyone attending the vigil, not just drivers, should have a picture ID. No alcohol or weapons (including knives of any kind) are permitted on prison grounds. We expect participants to be respectful and nonviolent. Bring any of the following: lawn chairs, radios, candles, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, and signs of a reasonable size. Do not bring large banners that could block the view of security personnel will be permitted. Restroom facilities will not be available at the prison, so stop ahead of time.

Michael Manley

VIGILS--STATEHOUSE, LUCASVILLE Vigil at the Statehouse If there is no stay or grant of clemency, our vigil will begin at 8:30am and last until we receive word that the killing has taken place or that a stay has been granted. Contact: 614 560 0654 or 614 224 7147. Witness participants must stay on the public sidewalks. Respectful signs and banners are encouraged, but they must be held by hand. We expect participants to be nonviolent. Parking is available under the statehouse (access from South Third Street), but it will probably be full by 8am. Parking also is available at City Center and at various lots.

Vigil at Lucasville The death house in Ohio is located at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville. If there is no stay or grant of clemency, our vigil will begin at 8:30am and last until we receive word that the killing has taken place or that a stay has been granted. We are looking for people to participate in the vigil program. If you could offer a prayer, a reading, or some

Traveling to Lucasville FROM TOLEDO: Approx. distance: 210 miles. Estimated travel time: 4 hours, 30 minutes (many of the roads are not restricted access freeways). Take I 75 south, then continue onto Highway 15 south (68 Bypass). Bear right onto US 68 south, then bear left onto Highway 31 (south-east). Stay on Highway 31 to Highway 33 east. Follow Highway 33 to I 270 south, then US 23 south. Follow US 23 south to State Route 728 (Lucasville-Minsford Rd.). See below. FROM CLEVELAND: Approx. distance: 215 miles. Estimated travel time: 4 hours, 15 minutes. Take I 71 south, then take I 270 to US 23 south. Follow US 23 south to State Route 728 (Lucasville-Minford Rd.). See below. FROM YOUNGSTOWN: Approx. distance: 250 miles. Estimated travel time: 5 hours (many of the roads are not restricted access freeways). Take I 680 north or other routes north. Take I 80 west, then take I 76 west. Follow I 76 west through Akron to I 71 south, then take I 270 to US 23 south. Follow US 23 south to State Route 728 (Lucasville-Minsford Rd). See below. FROM AKRON: Approx. distance 200 miles. Estimated travel time: 4 hours. Take I 76 west to I 71 south, then take I 270 to US 23 south. Follow US 23 south to State Route 728 (LucasvilleMinford Rd.). See below. FROM COLUMBUS: Approx. distance 80 miles. Estimated travel time: 1 hour, 40 minutes (US 23 is not a restricted access freeway). Take I 270 to US 23 south. Follow US 23 south to State Route 728 (Lucasville-Minford Rd.). See below.

FROM CINCINNATI: Approx. distance from downtown: 105 miles. Estimated travel time: 2 hours. Take Route 32 east to US 23 south. Follow US 23 south to State Route 728 (LucasvilleMinford Rd.). See below. FROM DAYTON: Approx. distance: 120 miles from downtown. Estimated travel time: 2 hours, 15 minutes. Take Route 35 east to Chillicothe. Then take US 23 south to State Route 728 (Lucasville-Minford Rd.). See below. US 23 AND STATE ROUTE 728 (LUCASVILLE-MINSFORD RD.): You will see a sign for the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility here, and there is a traffic light at this intersection. Turn left on 728 and travel approx. 2 miles. The prison is on the right side of the road at the top of the hill.

GETTING THROUGH COLUMBUS: You can follow 71 south into Columbus, then follow I 70 west and bear left to 71 south leading out of town. Follow 71 south to I 270 (past Grove City). Take I 270 east to US 23. However, during rush hour, I 71 south can back up in Columbus and stall almost completely. It’s best to get through Columbus before 7am. You can also use the outer belt (I 270), taking it either east or west from the interchange north of Columbus and following it around to US 23., but during rush hour, parts of I 270 can jam. If you have to drive through Columbus during peak rush hour, and the traffic stalls due to an accident or other circumstance, you may need to consider getting off the freeways and using Indianola and Summit (3rd Street) through German Village to Whittier or Thurman (turn right on either to reach US 23). Another possibility is to go to High Street (US 23) and follow it straight through Columbus.

PETITION TO THE GOVERNOR FOR COMMUTATION OF RICHARD FOX

We, the undersigned, urge the Governor of the State of Ohio, Bob Taft, to commute the death sentence of  Richard Fox. We are opposed to the use of capital punishment. We deeply sympathize with the family and friends of the victim, Leslie Renee Keckler.  We respectfully  offer that another death will not heal or resolve this tragedy.

NAME:

ADDRESS: 

CITY / ZIP

Please return to: Ohioans to Stop Executions, 9 E. Long St., Columbus, Ohio, 43215, or Governor Taft, 77 S High St. 30th Fl., Columbus, Ohio 43215

PETITION TO THE GOVERNOR FOR COMMUTATION OF OHIO DEATH ROW INMATES

We, the undersigned, urge the Governor of the State of Ohio, Bob Taft, to commute the death sentence of  those on death row in Ohio.  We are opposed to the use of capital punishment. We deeply sympathize with the family and friends of victims.  We respectfully offer that another death  will not heal or resolve such tragedy.

NAME:

ADDRESS: 

CITY / ZIP

Please return to: Ohioans to Stop Executions, 9 E. Long St., Columbus, Ohio, 43215, or Governor Taft, 77 S High St. 30th Fl., Columbus, Ohio 43215

Ohioans To STOP Executions A Journey of Persistence.... Dear Readers, Thank you for your support of Ohioans to Stop Executions. We need you more than ever! As you know Ohio continues to carry out executions. The March 30 th execution of William Wickline marked Ohio’s eleventh since 1999. Gregory Lott is scheduled for April 27, 2004. There are also several volunteers asking that their appeals end immediately. Our journey to end executions is a journey of persistence. We must continue to peacefully witness our opposition during executions. We must continue telling our families and friends about our belief in alternatives to the death penalty. We must continue writing letters and making phone calls to our elected officials. We must continue our prayers and outreach to all victims of violence. We must continue contributing our time and money to this cause. Every step forward- no matter how small- is important. Every contribution is important. You are important! Together, with persistence, we will end capital punishment in Ohio and throughout the nations. We commend you and the many courageous leaders who have witnessed against past executions, and joined with local groups to oppose the death penalty. We truly appreciate all of you who have held vigils, distributed educational materials, and publicly communicated your opposition to all executions. We thank all of you who helped make last fall’s Journey of Hope a success.

Please consider increasing your support for Ohioans to Stop Executions. We truly need your contributions. (We are a 501 (C) (3) not for profit organization). Please make a donation today to Ohioans to Stop Executions, 9 E. Long Street, Suite 201, Columbus, OH 43215. Jim Tobin, Treasurer, Ohioans to Stop Executions. ******************************************************************************************************

Yes, I will support Ohioans To Stop Executions... Enclosed is my contribution for.... [ ] $50.00 [ ] $35.00 [ ] $25.00 [ ] $10.00

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Name: _____________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________ Fax: ______________________________ City: _______________________ State: __________ Zip: ____________ E-Mail: __________________________ I am also interested in one or more of the following. Speaker Training ____________

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NOT IN OUR NAME

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Ohioans to Stop Executions is a statewide network of people and organizations united by our desire to abolish the death penalty and to promote effective, humane alternatives to its use. Pictured above is Jana Schroeder, American Friends Service Committee and vice-chair for Ohioans to Stop Executions. Jana chaired the Fall, 2003 Ohio Journey of Hope project which provided educational programs throughout Ohio. Thank you Jana!

For more information please contact: OHIOANS TO STOP EXECUTIONS, 9 E. Long Street, Suite 201, Columbus, Ohio 43215, 614-560-0654, www.otse.org. Michael Manley, Editor