Home : Death Penalty : Moratorium

ACLU Applauds Maryland Governor for Testifying in Support of Repealing the State’s Death Penalty (02/21/2007)
BALTIMORE, MD - The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland today hailed the remarkable appearance of Governor Martin O’Malley, who personally testified in support of repealing the state’s death penalty. The ACLU of Maryland is seconding the call for capital punishment to finally be abandoned as a fundamentally flawed and failed policy.

Kansas Supreme Court Strikes Down Death Penalty Law (12/21/2004)
WASHINGTON--The American Civil Liberties Union applauded a decision made today by the Kansas Supreme Court to strike down the state's death penalty law, making it the 14th state to ban capital punishment.

NYCLU Hails New York Appeals Decision Invalidating State Death Penalty (06/24/2004)
NEW YORK -- The New York Civil Liberties Union today hailed a New York Court of Appeals decision that effectively invalidates the state's death penalty. In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that the "deadlock" instruction given to juries improperly coerces them to vote for the death penalty.

High Court Halts Execution of Texas Death Row Prisoner, Saying Prosecutors Violated Ethical Duties (02/24/2004)
WASHINGTON - The United States Supreme Court today halted the scheduled execution of death row prisoner Delma Banks, Jr., saying that Banks was denied a fair trial 20 years ago when prosecutors withheld crucial exculpatory evidence from the defense.

Following Acquittal of 113th Death Row Inmate, ACLU Calls for Moratorium on Executions in North Carolina (02/18/2004)
WASHINGTON - The acquittal of Alan Gell -- the nation's 113th exonerated death row inmate -- is the latest powerful evidence that North Carolina needs a moratorium on executions, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

Arbitrary and Capricious Application of Death Penalty Persists Three Decades After Furman v. Georgia (06/27/2003)
WASHINGTON-More than 30 years after the Supreme Court called for a temporary halt on executions in the landmark Furman v. Georgia decision, the death penalty is still being applied in an arbitrary, discriminatory and capricious manner, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union's Capital Punishment Project released today to coincide with this month's anniversary of the decision.

Louisiana Man Becomes 108th Innocent Exonerated from Death Row (05/09/2003)
NEW ORLEANS- The release today of John Thompson, who spent over 16 years on Louisiana's death row for a crime he did not commit, should be a wake-up call for elected officials and state leaders all across this country.

ACLU Hails North Carolina Senate for Passing Death Penalty Moratorium Bill (04/30/2003)
WASHINGTON--The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the North Carolina Senate for passing a bill to halt executions in the state for two years while state officials conduct a thorough examination of its death penalty system. The North Carolina Senate becomes the first legislative chamber to pass moratorium legislation this year.

ACLU of Pennsylvania Asks For Moratorium on Executions (04/22/2003)
PHILADELPHIA - In light of recently introduced legislation and the findings of a state Supreme Court Committee report, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania today calls on Pennsylvania to enact a death penalty moratorium until serious systemic problems have been addressed.

ACLU Calls for Execution Moratorium After Release of 23rd Innocent From Florida's Death Row (01/24/2003)
MIAMI--Saying that the release of death row inmate Rudolph Holton is a wake-up call to elected officials in Florida, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged Governor Jeb Bush and state lawmakers to support a statewide moratorium on all executions while the problems plaguing Florida's death penalty system are examined.

ACLU of Illinois Lauds Governor's Principled Decision Commuting Sentences of All Death Row Inmates (01/11/2003)
CHICAGO --Governor George Ryan's historic decision today to commute to life in prison the sentences of all death row inmates convicted under Illinois' discredited and failed death penalty system offers further compelling evidence that the capital punishment system in the state should be abolished.

ACLU Applauds Commutation of Death Sentences by Illinois Governor -- Says Question Is 'Now What?' (01/11/2003)
WASHINGTON--The American Civil Liberties Union today applauds the historic decision by Illinois Governor George Ryan to commute the sentences of all death row prisoners in the state to life in prison. Illinois has exonerated more people than it has executed, a testament to how broken the system is. Faced with these stark facts and a legislature that has been slow to enact reforms, Governor Ryan's actions are appropriate.

ACLU Responds to the Release of the University of Maryland's Death Penalty Study on the Impact of Race and Geography (01/07/2003)
WASHINGTON -- A new University of Maryland study about the disturbing impact of race and geography in Maryland's administration of the death penalty conclusively demonstrates why the state's moratorium should continue and other states should suspend executions as well.

ACLU Renews Call for Death Penalty Moratorium on Eve of International Human Rights Day and Two Scheduled Executions (12/09/2002)
WASHINGTON-The Capital Punishment Project of the American Civil Liberties Union will mark December 10-- International Human Rights Day -- by renewing our call for a nationwide moratorium on the death penalty and highlighting recent developments in North Carolina and Oklahoma, both of which have scheduled executions for tomorrow.

ACLU Calls For Pennsylvania to Become Third State To Enact Death Penalty Moratorium (05/16/2002)
PHILADELPHIA-- The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania is once again calling on Pennsylvania to enact a death penalty moratorium. We urge our elected officials to demonstrate the kind of compassion and courage displayed by the Governors of Maryland and Illinois and make Pennsylvania the third state in the country to suspend its use of the death penalty.  

Maryland Stays Execution and Becomes Second State to Declare Death Penalty Moratorium; ACLU Applauds Governor's Courage (05/10/2002)
WASHINGTON-The American Civil Liberties Union's Capital Punishment Project applauds the leadership of Governor Parris Glendening of Maryland, who stayed the execution of Wesley Eugene Baker and announced a moratorium on all executions in the state pending the release later this year of a state study which examines racial biases in capital cases. 

ACLU of Illinois Commends Release of Report by Governor's Commission on Capital Punishment (04/15/2002)
CHICAGO--The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois commends the Governor's Commission on Capital Punishment for its diligent work and considerable attention to addressing problems in Illinois' failed death penalty system. The recommendations of the Commission, as reflected in the report released today, demonstrate the seriousness and open-minded approach with which the Commission members approached this process. 

ACLU Applauds Illinois Panel's Call for Death Penalty Reforms, Urges Support for National Moratorium on Executions (04/15/2002)
WASHINGTON--The American Civil Liberties Union applauds the call for sweeping changes in Illinois' death penalty system contained in a 200-page report released today. This report is the most comprehensive examination yet of the death penalty and should be a benchmark for further action by the states and the federal government. 

As Mounting Evidence Proves Serious Errors in Death Penalty System, the Federal Government Should Call for Execution Moratorium (02/11/2002)
WASHINGTON -- The Columbia University study released today, "A Broken System, Part II: Why There Is So Much Error in Capital Cases, and What Can Be Done About It," concludes that the nation's death penalty system is "collapsing under the weight" of errors. 

ACLU Calls Upon Congress to Enact a Federal Moratorium on Executions (06/19/2001)
WASHINGTON -- In the aftermath of the second federal execution in as many weeks, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged Congress to immediately pass a moratorium on further federal executions.