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-13 posts tagged "death penalty"
Isa Sheikh | Monday, February 20, 2023
Elizabeth Bruenig couldn’t make it the first time her talk at Notre Dame was scheduled. Alabama death row inmate Kenneth Smith, who Bruenig had known for a number of months and referred to familiarly as “Kenny,” was scheduled to be executed the day before her lecture — and she was to be a witness. “I
Gracie Eppler | Monday, September 26, 2022
On Friday, Sr. Helen Prejean participated in a fireside chat hosted by the Notre Dame Law School Exoneration Justice Clinic and the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights. The fireside chat was moderated by dean and professor of law G. Marcus Cole in the Eck Visitors’ Center. Prejean said she believes that all humans,
Ellie Konfrst | Monday, December 6, 2021
A week before Thanksgiving, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt commuted the sentence of Julius Jones, a death row inmate set to be executed for a 1999 murder, in dramatic fashion. Advocates and attorneys for Jones spent weeks biting their nails after the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended his sentence be commuted at the beginning of
Vince Mallett | Friday, February 12, 2021
The death penalty, at its core, is the murder of a defenseless human person. Those persons don’t pose a credible threat to others, given the security of America’s prison industrial complex. Those two sentences should be enough to convince anyone, especially Christians, that the death penalty is morally abhorrent. If you’re not yet convinced, I’ve
Ciara Hopkinson | Friday, November 22, 2019
On Sept. 21, 2011, Troy Davis was executed for the 1989 murder of Officer Mark MacPhail of the Savannah Police Department. Davis, a black man, maintained his innocence throughout the 20 years in prison and multiple appeals that ensued, and his highly publicized case drew international attention and protest. The Notre Dame Exoneration Project, the
Vince Mallett | Monday, September 30, 2019
This week is “Respect Life Week” at Notre Dame, ostensibly focusing on abortion and women’s health issues in the framework of an ethic of life. This week we’ll hear a lot about supporting women while protecting the life of the unborn, an enterprise which I think is both increasingly fraught and increasingly vital in our
Daniel O'Boyle | Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Just under a month ago in this column, I wrote about former Baylor head coach Art Briles and said teams looking for a new coach for 2017 need to stay away from the man who ignored what was nothing short of a rape epidemic while coaching the Bears. But recent development in the scandal compelled
Katherine Smart | Thursday, January 14, 2016
The debate over capital punishment is like “Whack-A-Mole.” One minute, the media is showing people protesting outside prisons and statehouses, and the next minute, another Donald Trump story. Despite the lack of consistent coverage, the death penalty’s presence in the legal system of the United States is reducing it from a democratic state that values individual liberty to
Rachel O'Grady | Thursday, October 15, 2015
Two and a half hours after her lecture concluded, one of Meg Penrose’s clients was executed for killing a police officer. “Today is a somber day. It’s a difficult thing to talk about,” she said. “Tonight, as my client is executed, there are many people who will feel vindicated.” Penrose, a professor of law at Texas
Gary Caruso | Thursday, September 3, 2015
My first column each semester usually exudes a “what happened to me” summer recap of excitement and enjoyable experiences. This year’s should lead with my highlight of the summer — coaching a charity congressional baseball team that plays annually at the Washington Nationals field. To everyone’s surprise, President Obama appeared in our dugout rolling a cooler