Exonerees Leading March to Abolish the Death Penalty

Death row exonerees Gary Drinkard, Ron Keine and Shujaa Graham leading the 2010 March to Abolish the Death Penalty. marchforabolition.org
Upcoming Executions

Upcoming Executions

Click for a list of upcoming scheduled executions in Texas.
Innocence

Innocence

The death penalty puts innocent people at risk of execution.
Todd Willingham

Todd Willingham

Todd Willingham was wrongfully executed under Governor Rick Perry on February 17, 2004.

Rally for Rodney Reed: Innocent on Texas Death Row

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Rally for Rodney Reed: Innocent on Texas Death Row

Saturday, November 9, 2019 2 PM

Texas Governor’s Mansion

https://www.facebook.com/events/2482857531771522/

Texas may execute an innocent person on November 20, 2019. Rodney Reed is innocent in the murder of Stacey Stites – a crime for which he has been on death row since 1998. Recent revelations from a jailhouse informant further implicate Stacey’s fiancé, Jimmy Fennell, in the murder. Fennell allegedly made a confession to a fellow prisoner while serving a 10-year sentence for raping a woman that was in Fennell’s custody while he was on duty as a cop.

The evidence of Rodney’s innocence has led to mounting calls from politicians, law enforcement officers, a host of celebrities (including Texas native Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey), and people around the world faor the execution to be halted, whether by the U.S. Supreme Court or by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Rodney’s supporters continue to campaign for a halt to the execution – and are asking for Rodney to receive a new day in court, when all the evidence of his innocence can be heard. Supporters will rally this Saturday at the Governor’s Mansion — just 11 days before the execution date — to call on Abbott to do the right thing for Rodney Reed!

One of Saturday’s speakers is national activist and journalist Shaun King, who initiated a petition for Rodney that has garnered over 2,000,000 signatures within a few days of being launched. We will also be joined by federal civil rights attorney and activist Lee Merritt. Rodney’s mother Sandra and brother Rodrick will speak for the Reed family. Heather Campbell Stobbs, cousin of Stacey Stites, will voice her support for Rodney. Witness to Innocence members Shujaa Graham and Juan Melendez will speak. Both men were exonerated from death row.  Musical group Riders Against the Storm will perform.

 

Speaker’s list and order:

 

Reverend Byron Green – Pastor at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Elgin, TX

 

Shaun King – Writer and national Black Lives Matter activist and co-founder of Real Justice PAC

Lee Merritt – National civil rights attorney who focuses on cases of police brutality, hate crimes, and corporate discrimination

 

Representative Vikki Goodwin – Texas House Member, District 47, Texas House Criminal Justice Reform Caucus

 

Robert Muhammad – Leader of Austin Nation of Islam

Delia Perez Meyer – sister of TX death row prisoner Louis Castro Perez 

 

Shujaa Graham – exonerated death row prisoner from CA

Juan Melendez – exonerated death row prisoner from Florida

 

Mark Clements – Former juvenile LWOP prisoner from Illinois

 

Mike Siegel – Congressional candidate for Texas district 10

 

Kevin Gannon – Retired NYPD detective from A&E’S Dead Again 

Deke Pierce – Candidate for Travis County Constable, Precinct 2

 

Wana Akpan – sister in law to Rodney Reed

 

Heather Campbell Stobbs – cousin of Stacey Stites, murder victim 

 

Rodrick Reed – Brother of Rodney Reed

 

Sandra Reed – Mother of Rodney Reed

Speakers at 20th Annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty

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The rally starts at 2 PM October 19, 2019 on the South Steps of the Texas Capitol. There will also be a press conference inside the Capitol in the Speaker’s Committee Room (2W.6) from noon to 1 PM

Speakers list:
Lily Hughes to Emcee

At the Capitol before marching:

Witness to Innocence speakers (all exonerated death row prisoners):
Ron Keine – spent 2 years on New Mexico’s death row
Gary Drinkard – spent almost 6 years on Alabama’s death row
Albert Burrell – spent 13 years on Louisiana’s death row
Sabrina Butler-Smith – spent 5 years in prison and almost 3 years on Mississippi’s death row
Shujaa Graham – spent 5 years on California Death Row

Scott Cobb with a tribute to recently deceased Jeanette Popp, whose daughter was murdered in Austin in 1988. Two men were wrongfully convicted. They were exonerated and released after 13 years in prison. Jeanette successfully urged the District Attorney not to seek the death penalty against the actual killer, Achim Marino.

Jose Garza – Candidate for Travis County District Attorney, Executive Director of Worker’s Defense Project

Nick Been – nephew of TX death row prisoner Jeff Wood, speaking for Kids Against the Death Penalty

Sandra Reed – Mother of TX death row prisoner Rodney Reed, scheduled for execution Nov. 20

March: Down Congress to 6 th on one East side of street, back up on West side of street (on sidewalk) stop at

Speakers at the Governor’s Mansion

Nicie Angie Guttierez – speaking about TX death row prisoner Ruben Guttierez, scheduled for execution Oct. 30
Members of Guttierez family,
TDPAM member to read the list of all the scheduled executions.

Back at the Capitol after Marching:
Delia Perez Meyer – sister of Texas Death Row prisoner Louis Castro Perez (to open and introduce family
members.)
Lydia Garza – Mother of TX death row prisoner Humberto Garza
Terri Been – sister of Texas death row prisoner Jeff Wood
Ozell Brandley (invited) – brother of exonerated TX death row prisoner Clarency Brandley, died Sept. 2 2018
Lee Greenwood (invited) – mother of TX death row prisoner Joseph Nichols, executed 2007
Marilyn Shankle-Grant (invited) – mother of TX death row prisoner Paul Storey
Nicole Combs – His Death Row Ministry. Introducing Lewis Bowden, who will read a letter from Pam Perrillo,
formerly on TX death row.
Lillian Mauldin – Amnesty International, University of Texas Chapter
Yancy Escobar Balderas – wife of TX death row prisoner Juan Balderas, speaking for Texas Death Penalty
Abolition Movement

Hearing on Bill to End Death Penalty in Law of Parties Cases

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We testified at the hearing of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence on April 15, 2019 in favor of Rep. Dutton’s bill to prohibit the death penalty in law of parties cases, such as Jeff Wood’s case. The hearing was scheduled for 2pm, but they did not get to the bill on law of parties until about 9:30, so we waited all day to testify. Contact members of the committee and urge them to vote in favor of the bill.

Also testifying was Elsa Alcala, formerly a Republican judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest criminal court in Texas.

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