Action

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CALL TO ACTION: Join the Resistance to HB 125 in Dover on Tuesday, May 9th.

Greetings all Death Penalty Abolitionists in the State of Delaware:

On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 you are needed at Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Ave, Dover DE. House Bill 125 will be brought before the full House for a vote. Our purpose on Tuesday is to present a massive presence in the halls, offices of legislators and in the General Assembly chamber.

There will be no testimony from the public. Please call your Representative.

Please be in attendance in the building wearing either “red” or buttons or other ways to message that you are opposed to reinstatement of the death penalty. Make every attempt to meet with your Representative. Posters and signs are not permitted in the building. Bring photo i.d., which you will need to get in.

Most of these sessions start around 1:00 pm. but no exact time has been announced. If we hear something more specific we will post.

It was obvious that the House Judiciary Committee had no interest in the public testimony last Wednesday.

This is an opportunity for the OPPOSITION to be noticed.

With much gratitude for your ongoing efforts and support.

Molly Keogh
Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty

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House Bill 125 voted out of committee. Scheduled to be heard by full House Thursday, May 4th

The outcome of the House Judiciary Committee Hearing on HB 125 to reinstate Delaware’s death penalty was not good. The bill was released from Committee 7 votes to 4. Please call your House Representatives ASAP and urge them to vote NO on HB 125. The Bill is on the Agenda for the full House tomorrow 5/4/17.

Thank you so much to all who attended and to all who testified! Thank you to Movement for a Culture of Peace, the League of Women Voters, Delaware United, the Unitarian Universalist Church, Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation, Coalition to Dismantle the New Jim Crow, the Delaware Center for Justice, the ACLU, the Delaware Green Party, and the folks from Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty! (Sorry if I’m forgetting some.) Our arguments against the bill were clear, coherent, diverse, and fact-based.

Special thanks to Rep. Sean Lynn who made a valiant showing of persuasive, rational argument. Thanks also to Reps. JJ Johnson, Gerald Brady, and Charles Potter for standing strong and voting to table the Bill. Sadly, the other 7 members voted the Bill out of Committee. We were operating at a distinct disadvantage as emotions were running high after the recent deaths of Cpl. Ballard and Lt. Floyd. The very moving annual Delaware Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was held at Legislative Hall earlier in the afternoon and many legislators on the committee attended.

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CALL TO ACTION: Hearing on House Bill 125 this Wed May 3rd at 2:30pm

House Bill 125 “The Extreme Crimes Protection Act” is scheduled for a hearing by the House Judiciary Committee in the House chamber next Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 2:30 p. m. in Legislative Hall in Dover.

You have a chance to testify against this bill that plans to bring back Delaware’s ineffective, unjust, and biased death penalty. To testify, prepare a 2 minute (about 250) word statement. Plan to arrive early to add your name to the sign-in list. If you want to elaborate beyond the two minutes you may submit further remarks in writing, but they are likely to limit spoken testimony to 2 minutes. For talking points, check out our links: Why Keep Delaware Death Penalty Free and Resource Links.

Please keep in mind that the Law Enforcement Memorial Service is set for noon on that same day. Since the murder last week of Cpl Stephen Ballard, emotions will be running very high, especially among the law enforcement community. Please be respectful.

We encourage everyone to attend, to testify, and to publicize this opportunity to participate in the legislative process.

Please call your State Representatives as well as members of the House Judiciary Committee. Calls on any day are important, but calls on May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th are likely to have the most impact. You can identify your State Rep. by going to the General Assembly website and using the Who is My Legislator tool. You can reach any legislator by calling the general number at (302) 744-4114. Urge them to prevent the return of Delaware’s death penalty.

Thank you for your dedication and work to Keep Delaware Death Penalty Free.

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Lock the Door on Delaware’s Death Penalty Action Forum – April 30th

Action Forum to Stop HB 125
Sunday, April 30 – 3:00 to 5:00 pm
Grace United Methodist Church

The event is free and open to the public

Movement for a Culture of Peace (MCP) is teaming up with Delaware Citizens Against the Death Penalty (DCODP) and other groups to take action to defeat HB 125, which seeks to restore capital punishment in the First State. Delaware’s former death penalty statute was declared unconstitutional last year by the state supreme court.  To read the full text of HB 125, click here.

We need to act now to stop HB 125, which is currently in the House Judiciary Committee. The hearing for the bill is expected to be in early May. After opening remarks from civil rights attorney Jeremy Collins and Kristin Froehlich, vice president of DCODP, we’ll get to work writing letters, making posters, and preparing to rally against capital punishment at Legislative Hall.  Persons interested in testifying against the bill may receive training and tips on how to be most effective. We are most powerful and persuasive when we work together.

>Please help us publicize by printing and distributing our poster and mentioning this meeting on social media. You will find various versions of this graphic on the Movement for a Culture of Peace Resources Page.

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No Death Penalty! Letter to the Editor Training Event


Hosted by Delaware United and Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty

Sunday, April 23rd from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Newark Natural Foods, 230 E. Main St, Newark, DE 19711 (in the Newark Shopping Center). Free parking.

We are doing a group “Letter to the Editor” writing event to help educate readers on why the death penalty is wrong for Delaware.

Don’t know how to write a great letter to the editor? You can simply learn by doing! We will have a short presentation so you can learn what makes a good letter, and see some quality examples. Then, you can write your letter, get it proofread, get information to include in your letter, enjoy some pizza, and send your letter to the major Delaware publications.

Please bring a laptop if you have one!!!!

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House Bill 125 will attempt to bring the death penalty back to Delaware.

Monday April 4th, legislators introduced House Bill 125 to reinstate Delaware’s death penalty: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE EXTREME CRIMES PROTECTION ACT. Click on the link for the full details of the bill. Click here to read the full text of the bill.

We need your help to prevent HB 125 from sending Delaware back to the dark ages.

Please contact your state legislators and tell them you oppose this bill. To get the contact info of your legislators, go to State Legislators and type your address in the Who Is My Legislator? box on the top right.

To send a letter to your go to sample letter.  Personalize the letter. Click here to see other reasons to keep Delaware death penalty-free.

Letters to the editor are also helpful, especially downstate where support for the death penalty is most fierce.

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DCODP Monthly Meeting, Monday 3/27/17 – 5:30pm

Join us at our Monthly DCODP Meeting as we focus on keeping Delaware free of the death penalty. Monday 3/27/17 from 5:30 to 7:00pm. LOCATION: Wilmington Friends Meeting House, 1st floor Social Room, 401 N. West St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Park in the parking lot on the 5th Street side or on the street. Ring the doorbell at the West Street entrance. Call 302-379-0488 for info. Invite a friend. All are welcome!

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Keep Delaware DP-Free Strategy Meeting

On 8/2/16, the Delaware Supreme Court ruled that Delaware’s death penalty statute was unconstitutional. Shortly afterward 15 legislators promised to introduce legislation to bring back the death penalty. Join us for a Strategy Meeting to keep Delaware free of the death penalty. Park in the parking lot on the 5th Street side or on the street. Ring the doorbell at the West Street entrance. All are welcome!

Monday, September 26 at 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Wilmington Friends Meeting House, 1st floor Social Room, 401 N. West St, Wilmington, DE 19801

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SILENT VIGIL at DE SUPREME COURT 6/15 at 9:30 am

This Wednesday, June 15th at 9:30 am, the Delaware Supreme Court will hear final oral arguments in preparation for deciding whether Delaware’s death penalty violates federal Constitutional standards.

Join us as we gather at 9:30 am in silence on the Green across from the Delaware Supreme Court, 55 The Green, Dover, DE 19901.

If you want to sit inside to hear the arguments, plan to be there by 8:30am as there is limited seating inside. Anyone entering the courthouse is asked to refrain from wearing pins, t-shirts, or other insignia related to their position on the death penalty.

If you cannot attend, you can follow the events on DE Supreme Court livestream video.

For further information on the arguments, go to DE Supreme Court Oral Arguments Rauf v State.