The WSCC Legislative Priorities document makes the case against capital punishment with 3 main points: 1) There is no evidence the death penalty deters crime more than life in prison without parole. It is more expensive and has led to innocent people being wrongly convicted and executed. 2) The death penalty is applied in an unfair and biased manner, with race playing a role in who receives it. 3) Most major religions are opposed to capital punishment on the grounds that all human life is sacred and that denying criminals the chance to reform goes against principles of justice and mercy.

1. WSCC Legislative Priorities for
2013
“The direct and intentional
destruction of… human life…
always wrong -- not just one
issue among many--must
always be opposed”
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 2011

2. U.S. Bishops Pastoral, The Challenge
of Peace
“The possibility of taking even
one human life is a prospect we
should consider in fear and
trembling.”

3. FACTS
•There is no credible evidence that capital punishment deters
crime.
• Innocent people have been convicted and executed
• Race plays a role in determining who lives and who dies.
•Executions are carried out at staggering cost to taxpayers.
•Life Without Parole is a Sensible, Safe Alternative to the
Death Penalty.
•Bad Lawyers are a Persistent Problem in Capital Cases.
•The USA is keeping company with notorious human rights
abusers.
•Capital punishment goes against almost every religion
•Millions currently spent on death penalty could be used to
assist the families of murder victims.
•The death penalty is applied at random.

4. THERE IS NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DETERS CRIME
Opinions of Expert Criminologists (Radelet & Lacock)
Do not
deter
No opinion
Do Deter
• Highest murder rates
are in the South – and
highest execution rates
(Texas – 503 since
1976, Virginia – 110)
• Lowest murder rates
are in New England –
lowest execution rate-4

5. INNOCENT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
CONVICTED AND EXECUTED
Since 1976, over 141 people have been
released from death row with evidence of
their innocence -House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil &
Constitutional Rights
In Washington State in 2010 three
individuals have been exonerated through
DNA evidence

6. RACE PLAYS A ROLE IN DETERMINING
WHO LIVES OR DIES
Race of Defendants Executed
Race of Victims in Death Penalty
Cases
White
White
Black
Black
Hispanic
Hispanic
Other
Other

7. EXECUTIONS ARE CARRIED OUT AT
STAGGERING COST TO TAXPAYERS
• Texas - $2.3 million = 75% more than the
cost of life imprisonment without parole
• Kansas – 70% more costly than non-capital
cases.
• North Carolina - $2.16 million per execution
over sentencing to life
• Florida - $51 million more than cost of
sentencing all first-degree murderers to life
• Washington - $800,000 more than life

8. LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE IS A
SENSIBLE, SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO THE
DEATH PENALTY
•Life without parole –harsh sentence –
no opportunity for release
•Allows for correction of mistakes
•Much lower cost

9. BAD LAWYERS ARE A PERSISTENT
PROBLEM IN CAPITAL CASES
CAUSES OF WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS
INCLUDE:
1. Incompetent defense lawyers’ (court
appointed, sometimes previously disciplined)
2. Faulty eyewitness testimony
3. Over-zealous police or prosecutors
4. False confessions extracted after turturous
hours of interrogation
5. False information provided by jailhouse
snitches
6. Junk science

10. THE USA IS KEEPING COMPANY WITH
NOTORIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS

11. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT GOES AGAINST
ALMOST EVERY RELIGION
Judaism, Christianity, Islam all support and promulgate the
ten commandments – THOU SHALT NOT KILL
Eastern philosophies – All animal life is sacred
Buddhism – all life is sacred – no one god, but intense selfdiscipline
Hinduism - many gods – reincarnation
Jainists carry brushes to push aside insects lest they tread
on them.

12. MILLIONS CURRENTLY SPENT ON
DEATH PENALTY COULD BE USED TO
ASSIST FAMILIES OF VICTIMS
Death penalty requires extensive due
process to reduce the chance of
executing an innocent person—
prolongs pain of victims’ families—
cost of the process could be used to
support those families.

13. DEATH PENALTY IS APPLIED AT
RANDOM
1. Gary Ridgeway, convicted of murdering 48
women – life without parole
2. Ben Ng and Kwan Fai Mak – 13 murders in
the Wah Mee Massacre
3. Justice Charles Johnson – “…like
lightening, randomly striking some
defendants and not others.

14. Pope John Paul II in Evangelium
Vitas, 2, states …
1. “Sign of hope --increasing recognition -dignity of human life must never be
taken away
2. “Even in case of great evil
3. “Modern society has means of protecting
itself
4. “Denying criminals a chance to reform
5. “End the death penalty-- both cruel and
unnecessary.”