Delaware

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Bill proposed to reinstate death penalty

After almost three years without the death penalty since the Delaware Supreme Court declared the Delaware statute unconstitutional in 2016, several lawmakers are proposing again to reinstate the death penalty [link to article]. Please call your state legislators and urge them to oppose the death penalty reinstatement bill (bill number not yet assigned). To locate your legislators’ contact information, go to Who Is My Legislator? on the Delaware General Assembly website.

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House Bill 125 Reinstatement Bill died at end of 149th General Assembly

House Bill 125, the bill proposing to reinstate Delaware’s death penalty statute, died in June 2018 at the end of the Delaware General Assembly’s 149th Legislative Session. The House had passed HB 125, but the bill remained in the Senate Judiciary Committee when the session ended. The next two year General Assembly Session, General Assembly 150, will begin in January 2019. Any legislation related to the death penalty in Delaware would have to be introduced as a brand new bill.

Thank you to all who worked so hard to keep Delaware free of the death penalty!

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2017 Annual Meeting: Reimagining Justice: How Restorative Justice Satisfies the Needs of Victims, Offenders, and Communities

Join us for a short business meeting followed by a presentation:

Reimagining Justice: How Restorative Justice Satisfies the  Needs of Victims, Offenders, and Communities

Monday, November 27th, 2017

6:45 pm Business Meeting, 7:00 pm Speaker

Brandywine Hundred Library, 1300 Foulk Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803

Crime causes injury to people and communities. Restorative Justice offers principles and practices to address the harms that have occurred, the needs that have arisen from those harms, and who is obligated to meet those needs. Barbie Fischer is Executive Director of Restorative Encounters, a non-profit whose aim is to encourage taking responsibility for our actions and working toward healing all affected by crime. Ms. Fischer has over 15 years of experience in restorative justice, working in community and program development with various organizations around the world.

The annual meeting is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information, call 302-379-0488 or visit http://www.enddeathpenaltyde.org.

Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty is a restorative justice project of Pacem in Terris.
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Volunteer Opportunity at Newark Community Day – 9/17/17

Part of the mission of Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty is education. We need your help at Newark Community Day to spread the message that Delaware needs to remain free of the death penalty. Join us for an hour or two to hand out materials or help visitors take a poll. It’s easy and fun.

Sunday, 9/17/17, 11am – 4pm, University of Delaware Green, Newark, Delaware.

For further information about Newark Community Day, click here.

To notify us that you can volunteer or if you have questions, click here.

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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.