American Civil Liberties Union

 Clemency Granted February 25, 2002:
Life in Prison Without Parole

BY FAX: 404-651-6723

Mr. Walter S. Ray, Chairman
State Board of Pardons and Parole
Floyd Veterans Memorial Building
Balcony Level, East Tower
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, S.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30334  

We write on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union to ask that you grant clemency to Alexander Williams, who is scheduled to be executed on February 20, 2002 and commute his sentence to life in prison.  The tremendous injustices in his case merit this extraordinary course of action.

Mr. Williams was a juvenile when he committed the crime for which he was sentenced to death.  There is a growing consensus, both in this country and around the world, that juveniles should not be sentenced to death.  Fifteen states with the death penalty do not execute juveniles, and several other states are considering banning the practice.  This country recognizes that people under the age of eighteen are capable of rehabilitation and may yet become a productive member of society even while serving a sentence of life in prison.

In addition, Mr. Williams s defense during the original trial was woefully inadequate.  A stunning 5 of the 8 surviving original jury members now say that, had they heard more about Mr. William s horrific childhood and mental illness, they would have voted against the death penalty.  Mr. Williams s attorney did not investigate basic information that would have provided crucial mitigating evidence against a death sentence.  We now know that this incompetence was a critical factor in Mr. Williams s death sentence.

In the interest of justice, I urge you to commute Mr. Williams s sentence to life in prison.

Sincerely,

Diann Rust-Tierney                                        Debbie Seagraves
ACLU Capital Punishment Project                   ACLU of Georgia