News From: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    U.S. Senator Russ Feingold 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

716 Hart Senate Office Building			Contact:  Ari Geller
Washington, DC   20510-4904				  (202) 224-8657
(202) 224-5323
http://www.senate.gov/-feingold

Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold 
On The Report by the Grassroots Investigation Project of Equal Justice USA 
Entitled "Reasonable Doubts: Is the US. Executing Innocent People?"

October 25, 2000

Supporters of the death penalty often argue that there is no evidence that our nation has put an innocent person to death. Well, this report marks a significant step toward putting those claims to rest.

This report highlights our worst fears about our nation's death penalty system. Since the 1970s, 89 people who were sentenced to death were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to prove their innocence and were later exonerated. This report shows that at least 16 other individuals have not been so lucky. The report underscores the need for a national moratorium on executions until the system that has sent, and continues to send, innocent people to death row can be fully reviewed. Regardless of whether they support or oppose the death penalty in principle, all Americans can agree that our criminal justice system should not be executing innocent people. American ideals of justice, fairness and equality demand no less.

###

Back