As Ohio takes a break from executions while questions surrounding the lethal drugs used in the process are hashed out, it’s a good time to consider ending execution of people who have serious mental illness. Separate bills to enact such a ban are sitting in committees in the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives. They deserve consideration, and we […]
Beacon Journal/Ohio.com editorial board: Spare those with severe mental illness from execution
Five years have passed since a statewide task force recommended improvements in how Ohio conducts the death penalty. Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor initiated the effort, and the members performed the job well, generating 56 proposals for the courts and legislature. Unfortunately, a small fraction has been implemented, with state lawmakers proving especially lax in taking […]
‘Ineffective, irreversible and immoral:’ Gavin Newsom halts death penalty for 737 inmates
Gov. Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on the death penalty in California on Wednesday, sparing the lives of more than 700 death-row inmates. Saying the death penalty is “ineffective, irreversible and immoral,” he signed an executive order granting reprieves to all 737 Californians awaiting executions – a quarter of the country’s death row inmates. Read […]