by Kathleen Lucas | Aug 26, 2013 | Andy Hoover
Last week, after 21 years on Pennsylvania’s death row, James Dennis of Philadelphia finally had his moment of justice. Federal district court Judge Anita Brody ruled that the 1992 conviction of Dennis for the murder of Chedell Ray Williams was “a grave miscarriage...
by Kathleen Lucas | Aug 22, 2013 | Uncategorized
District Attorney Seth Williams says he’s “upset and disgusted†at the Judge Anita Brody’s ruling in Jimmy Dennis’s case.  He should be. His solution is to “appeal it to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals or just retry the case.†But he needs to go...
by Kathleen Lucas | Aug 21, 2013 | Kathleen Lucas
It looks like Jimmy Dennis may finally be freed. Today, Senior US District Judge Anita Brody overturned his conviction and ordered his release. Unless, that is, the District Attorney’s office finds a way to retry him. Following a long string of cases involving...
by Kathleen Lucas | Aug 5, 2013 | Cantor Michael Zoosman
 I often hear the usual justifications for ending capital punishment. Deterrence is a fallacy. Innocents and the mentally ill are killed off all the time. Racial inequality is rampant in sentencing. The detrimental impact on the executioners is immeasurable. Closure...
by Kathleen Lucas | Jul 26, 2013 | Uncategorized
John Hanger, one of the Democratic candidates for Governor of Pennsylvania, announced his opposition to the death penalty at an event in Pittsburgh Thursday morning. Members of the Pittsburgh chapter of PADP were there to welcome the news. Mr. Hanger’s remarks...