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News

February 9, 2014

Dennis McGuire Execution Another Sign of a Broken System

There is no question that the death penalty is a broken system. The problems with Ohio’s death penalty aren’t abstract problems in a report– they are embodied in the prison staff who carried out the suffocation execution of Dennis McGuire, the priest who witnessed it, the family who must endure another media storm. They are […]

February 7, 2014

Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Board Calls for No More Executions

Ohio is gaining an unwanted reputation for experimenting with questionable ways to put people to death. In 2009 and 2011, the state was the first to try new lethal-injection methods on condemned prisoners. Last month, Ohio broke ground again by using, for the first time, a combination of hydromorphone, a painkiller, and midazolam, a sedative, […]

January 7, 2014

Watch: Executive Director of Ohioans to Stop Executions Featured on “The State of Ohio”

Kevin Werner, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions, was featured on a weekend edition of the public television show, “The State of Ohio”.

December 3, 2013

Sign of the Times: Bill to Repeal the Death Penalty Introduced

December 3— Today at the Statehouse, Representative Nickie J. Antonio (D-13) and Representative Dan Ramos (D-52) announced that they will introduce a bill that would repeal the death penalty in Ohio.

November 13, 2013

Governor Kasich Stays Execution of Ronald Phillips

November 13— Governor Kasich announced that he will temporarily stay the execution of Ronald Phillips. Mr. Phillips was scheduled to be executed tomorrow, November 14 at 10:00 a.m. for the murder of Sheila Marie Evans.

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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).