The State of Virginia is scheduled to execute Danville resident Christopher Scott Emett on Wed., June 13 for the Apr. 27, 2001 murder of John Fenton Langley. The murder occured at a hotel in Danville. Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VADP) has scheduled protests in both Richmond and the community of Jarratt, where the state killing will take place, on June 13.
As many of you know, I am highly opposed to capital punishment as I think it serves no community purpose for crime protection/prevention whatsoever and that it's only real purpose is to elect individuals who continously refuse to perform the leg work needed in theis country to combat violent crime.
I also think it is a heinous sin to take another person's life, especially if they have not committed the act they are accused of_ something which has occured so many times in this country that even death penalty proponents acknowledge this as fact. However, I have some differing opinions with those who share my views, mainly on the grounds that communication with death row inmates should be limited to clergy and legal counsel.
Emmett is unfortunately not one of those individuals who stands falsely accused. He indeed committed a terrible, bloody murder while he was under the influence of crack cocaine. I think he should serve the rest of his life in prison to pay for the completely senseless taking of Langley's life. But, the death penalty crosses a clear, ethical line which our government continues to blatantly cross despite growing public opposition to the death penalty in the wake of many botched executions nationwide.
The VADP, the Charlottesville-based group headed by Jack Payden-Travers, is taking issue with the fact that Emmett was represented by very bad counsel during his murder trial. The public defender in the case failed to perform the standard procedure of requesting both mental health and social service records.
The organization is asking Virginia residents to contact Gov. Tim Kaine's office at (804) 786-2211 to prevent this injustice from occuring. Kaine (D) himself opposes the death penalty, and has been grilled by the likes of Del. Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock)_ ironically a friend of mine, for his views. Gilbert was a solid assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Shenandoah County, and I respect him for that. But, on this issue he is both morally and intellectually on the wrong side of the fence as I firmlybelieve all capital punishment propoents are. Unfortunately, due to political and legal constraints, Kaine in spite of his infiinite wisdom and moral clarity has chosen to prevent only one execution from going through.
The protests will take place in front of Gov. Kaine's main office in Richmond at 4 p.m. The VADP will also gather in the field of the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt at 8:30 p.m. The remote, isolated hamlet of Jarrett is approximately 90 miles south of Richmond.
For more info:
Update: Gov. Kaine made the courageous decision to delay the execution until the U.S. Supreme Court has fully reviewed it. He has been grilled by the local conservative-slanted media, but he made the right choice and he has my full support.
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