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Ohioans to Stop Executions

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission & History
    • Board & Staff
    • Contact OTSE
  • Take Action
    • Join OTSE
    • Volunteer with OTSE!
    • OHIOANS TO STOP EXECUTIONS: THE PUSH FOR ABOLISHING THE DEATH PENALTY
    • Donate
    • Upcoming Events
    • Open Letter from Ohio’s Faith Leaders
    • Host an Event
    • Mental Illness Reforms
  • Resources
    • Issues
    • Task Force Recommendations
    • Educational Handouts & Articles
    • Clemency Campaigns
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Publications

Our Mission

Our mission is simple: end the death penalty in Ohio.

Who we are

OTSE is a coalition of individuals and organizations working to reduce use of and ultimately end capital punishment in Ohio. We are ordinary Ohioans with an extraordinary vision for how society addresses violent crime and victims’ families needs.

What we believe

We think Ohio will be better off when the needs of victims’ families come first. We believe the death penalty only creates more victims and does not serve the needs of Ohio’s law enforcement community. We value smarter criminal justice policies that hold offenders accountable and keep communities safe. We believe Ohio can do both, and that begins with rethinking death in a society that values life.

What informs our beliefs

Victims’ families. Time and again our vision and beliefs are informed by Ohio’s homicide survivors. They have already lost the most but are harmed even more by the trauma that comes with decades of uncertainty. When they speak, people listen. And they’re saying the death penalty only causes more harm to them and their healing.

Wrongfully convicted. When execution is the outcome, the system must be perfect 100% of the time. Wrongfully convicted men and women are a stark reminder the system all too often makes mistakes. When mistakes are made there is no going back after execution.

Data analysis. We take a data driven approach, and the data is clear. Ohio’s death penalty is not reserved for the worst crimes and offenders. It is relegated to a few counties for people living with mental illness, drug addiction, and extreme poverty who commit homicide against white victims. The most likely outcome of a death sentence is not execution.

Our History

OTSE was founded in 1988. OTSE worked to raise awareness and education around state executions as Ohio began executing again in 1999.

Since then, OTSE has educated Ohioans as diverse as our great state. We’ve worked in big cities and small towns with Democrats, Republicans and Independents through faith-based organizations and civic groups. That’s why today we have thousands of members and supporters across Ohio. And we’re ready to make history.

Check out this video to learn more about our history.

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RECOMMENDATION 52

Adoption of a rule directing that the trial judge is the appropriate authority for the appointment of experts for indigent defendants. The rule should further provide that the decision pertaining to the appointment of experts shall be made, on the record, at one of the prescribed Pre-Trial Conferences.

If defense counsel requests, the demand for appointment of the expert shall be made in-camera ex parte, and the order concerning the appointment shall be under seal.

Upon establishing counsels’ respective compliance with discovery obligations, the question of the appointment of experts (including determination of projected expert fees based upon analysis of expert’s time to be applied to the case as well as consideration of incremental payment of expert fees as case progresses) would be decided by the court, which decision would be subject to immediate appeal, under seal, to the appropriate Court of Appeals. The trial court judge shall make written findings as to the basis for any denial. Although concerns have been raised as to the ability of the Appellate Court to provide the anticipated, necessary expedited hearing within a reasonable time-frame, the Joint Task Force suggests that this issue be elevated to the status of a final appealable order and that the necessary expedited appellate process be spelled out in the statute.

RECOMMENDATION 54

Should the present process of appointment of indigent counsel by the judiciary continue, the main objective should always be to assure the best educationally experienced and qualified candidate, who is available (within the county or outside the county), and who is otherwise willing to take on the responsibilities associated with the case for an appropriate fee and accompanying expenses, is appointed. A uniform fee schedule for such services across the State of Ohio must be a necessary consideration to assure the equal protection and due process for the accused in a capital case.

RECOMMENDATION 55

Adoption of reporting standards to provide complete transparency of record, including requirements to ensure better record keeping by the trial judge and the provision of additional, detailed resource information necessary to assure strict compliance with due process, which information shall be submitted to the Supreme Court upon completion of the case. Such resource information may include unique Constitutional issues, unique evidentiary issues, significant motions, plea rationale, pre-sentence investigation, and any additional information required by the Rule 20 Committee or the Supreme Court of Ohio. Additional types of resource information could be developed as part of the mandated educational process conducted by the Ohio Judicial College.

RECOMMENDATION 56

The Joint Task Force believes that some of the recommendations above could be accomplished by the adoption of a separate Criminal Rule for Capital Cases. The Joint Task Force recommends that such a rule be adopted and provide for the mandatory training of attorneys and judges (Recommendation 49), the selection and appointment of indigent counsel in capital cases (Recommendation 51), and the enforcement of the ABA Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Defense Counsel in Death Penalty Cases and the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams (Recommendations 11 and 12).