tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11516722.post-1139093410211495132006-02-04T17:47:00.000-05:002006-02-05T20:55:15.713-05:00<p class="MsoNormal">On Friday, <st1:city st="on">Vernon</st1:city>'s attorneys delivered a consensus statement in support of a moratorium (pause) of the death penalty in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Maryland</st1:place></st1:state>.<br /><br />Signers of the agreement are concerned:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>(1) that innocent people are being sentenced to death in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Maryland</st1:place></st1:state>,<br />(2) that capital defendants in <st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">Maryland</st1:state></st1:place> are not receiving adequate legal council, and<br />(3) that <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Maryland</st1:place></st1:state>'s death penalty is applied in a racist manner.<o:p></o:p><br /><br />Those signing the documents include Bruce Gordon, the President and CEO of the NAACP, Raymond Paternoster, the man who authored the <a href="http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/sociss/release.cfm?ArticleID=265">study that proved racial disparities on <st1:state st="on">Maryland</st1:state>'s death row,</a> and several other <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Maryland</st1:place></st1:state> legislatures, religious leaders, and educators.<o:p></o:p><br /><br />See the statement <a href="http://www.savevernonevans.org/user/VE%20Consensus%20Statement%20all.pdf">here.</a> <o:p></o:p></p>Virginia Simmonsnoreply@blogger.com