Home : Death Penalty : Moratorium

Tennessee Senator Sponsoring Bill to Block Executions (02/02/2001)
NASHVILLE--State Representative Rob Briley has agreed to sponsor a bill on behalf of the ACLU and 20 additional organizations that would place a moratorium on executions while a study is conducted into the fairness and application of the death penalty, the Tennessean reported.

OK Lawmaker Proposes Year-Long Moratorium on Capital Punishment (01/17/2001)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK--Renewed enthusiasm over finding an alternative to capital punishment has prompted an Oklahoma lawmaker to introduce a bill seeking a year-long ban on capital punishment, according to the state's Government Information Tracking Service.

Civil Rights, Religious Groups Call on Clinton to Declare Moratorium on Federal Executions (12/04/2000)
WASHINGTON -- Citing questions about racial disparities in the federal death penalty system, prominent civil rights and religious organizations today called on President Clinton to declare a moratorium on federal executions. 

ACLU Says Moratorium, Not 'More Study' Needed to Address Bias in Federal Death Penalty Sentencing (09/13/2000)
WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice's findings from its review of the federal death penalty confirms what the American Civil Liberties Union and other death penalty opponents have long known: that there is serious bias in the application of the death penalty at the federal level.

Ohio Bill Seeks Moratorium (07/13/2000)
COLUMBUS, OH -- Troubled by the increasing number of innocent people on death rows across the United States, a group of state lawmakers are attempting to put a moratorium on capital punishment in Ohio.

Delaware Pushes for Death Penalty Moratorium (06/21/2000)
DELAWARE -- Several Delaware lawmakers would like the state to follow the actions of the Illinois governor, George Ryan, by calling for a moratorium on executions and a study of the death penalty. Sen. F. Gary Simpson, R-Milford, introduced Senate Joint Resolution 10 last week, which would establish an impartial commission to study all aspects of the death penalty in Delaware. "Next year marks the 25th anniversary since the death penalty was resumed in the United States and now is an appropriate time to revisit this emotionally charged and sensitive issue," Sen. Simpson said.

PA Police Veteran Testifies in Favor of State Death Penalty Moratorium Bill (02/22/2000)
HARRISBURG, PA -- At a public hearing today, Leslie Seymore, President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and a 26-year veteran of the City of Philadelphia's Police Department, called on the state General Assembly to enact a death penalty moratorium and undertake a study of how the death penalty is implemented in the state.

ACLU of Illinois Praises Governor's Courage in Suspending State Death Penalty System (01/31/2000)
CHICAGO, IL--The American Civil Liberties Union is pleased by Governor Ryan's action today suspending application of the death penalty in Illinois. The sad and discredited capital punishment system in this state deserves not only a moratorium, but all-out abolition.

ACLU Calls for Moratorium After Gruesome Electric Chair Execution (07/08/1999)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today called on Gov. Jeb Bush to halt all executions until officials can ensure that they can be conducted humanely and until greater fairness and due process in the imposition of death sentences can be assured.

ACLU of Nebraska Says Study Still Needed Despite Governor's Veto of Death Penalty Moratorium (05/26/1999)
LINCOLN, NE--Nebraska lawmakers' first step toward making sure capital sentences in the state are handled in a fair manner was halted after Governor Mike Johanns today vetoed a bill calling for a study of the issue and moratorium on executions.