Reasonable Doubts:
Is the U.S. Executing Innocence People?
October 26, 2000
A Preliminary Report of the Grassroots Investigation Project
Footnotes to Introduction
[7] Currently, legislation is pending in Connecticut, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania that would impose moratoria while issues of fairness are studied: HB5051 in Connecticut, SB325 in Kentucky, SB838 in Missouri, A1853 in New Jersey, HB733 in Ohio, SB952 in Pennsylvania. Over the last two years, 14 states have considered bills that would impose a moratorium on executions while issues of fairness are studied.
Similar national legislation has been introduced in Congress that would temporarily halt state and federal executions and would commission a national inquiry. On April 24, 2000, Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) introduced into the Senate the National Death Penalty Moratorium Act of 2000 (S.R. 2463). It would impose a moratorium on state and federal executions and establish a National Commission on the Death Penalty to review current administration and make recommendations for ensuring it is imposed fairly and with due process. On February 11, 2000, Rep. JesseJackson Jr. introduced into the House the Accuracy in Judicial Administration Act of 2000 (H.R. 3623). This House bill would impose a seven-year moratorium on executions to allow death row prisoners time to explore potentially exculpatory evidence, including DNA.