News
Column: Death penalty does more harm than good for victim’s son
I lost my father two years ago to a brutal and senseless murder. The man who took his life, Thomas Knuff, was recently sentenced to death. Knuff took my dad from me and robbed the two of us of invaluable time together. It’s impossible to describe the depths of my pain or how to cope […]
Ohio governor delays execution because drug companies won’t supply the state
(CNN)Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine postponed the execution of a death row inmate amid struggles to find a company that will provide the state with drugs for a new lethal injection protocol. Warren Henness was scheduled to be executed on September 12, DeWine’s office said. His new execution date is May 14, giving officials about nine […]
Ohio can’t get drugs for new execution method, DeWine admits
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday that state prison officials are finding it impossible to find any company to supply drugs an execution alternative to one that essentially has been declared cruel and unusual. He said he would talk to legislative leaders whether legislation allowing a different execution method should be pursued. Some Ohio death […]
As prosecutors seek death penalty in Parma Heights pen-pal slayings, victim’s son denounces executions
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Jonathan Mann considered himself pro-death penalty until his father was murdered. Until two years ago, the 37-year-old computer programmer rarely thought about capital punishment. Whenever he did, it was always in the abstract, and he was fine with bad guys being executed. Read the full story here.
Ohio House passes bill banning executions of people with ‘serious mental illness’ during crime
COLUMBUS, Ohio –Defendants could escape the death penalty if they suffer from schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and delusional disorder during the time of the crime, under a bill passed Wednesday in the Ohio House. Representatives passed House Bill 136 76 to 17. Read the full story here.
Beacon Journal/Ohio.com editorial board: Don’t execute those with serious mental illness
One abiding principle of the justice system goes: The punishment should fit the crime and the defendant. That helps explain the thinking behind reserving the death penalty for the worst of the worst. It also puts in context legislation at the Statehouse that would prohibit the execution of those who are convicted of murder and […]
Editorial: Ohio should do the right thing, not execute those with mental illness
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 […]