Arkansans Against Death Penalty Gather in Little Rock
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: November 8, 2012
A group of Arkansans opposed to the death penalty gathered in Little Rock to highlight progress in their efforts to get rid of capital punishment.
More than 100 people attended the Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty's (ACADP) annual meeting.
Speakers included family members of murder victims who want to end the practice.
Their reasons for opposing capital punishment include moral issues, cost and the question of innocence.
"A lot of these people have strong innocence claims, a lot of these people come from deprived backgrounds," says ACADP Executive Director Sam Kooistra. "There's just a manifest injustice that permeates the system."
The State of Arkansas hasn't executed a death row inmate in over five years.
The coalition is asking Governor Beebe to issue stays for all upcoming executions until the system receives a full review.
More than 100 people attended the Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty's (ACADP) annual meeting.
Speakers included family members of murder victims who want to end the practice.
Their reasons for opposing capital punishment include moral issues, cost and the question of innocence.
"A lot of these people have strong innocence claims, a lot of these people come from deprived backgrounds," says ACADP Executive Director Sam Kooistra. "There's just a manifest injustice that permeates the system."
The State of Arkansas hasn't executed a death row inmate in over five years.
The coalition is asking Governor Beebe to issue stays for all upcoming executions until the system receives a full review.
Comments
The majority of residents of Arkansas voted to reinstate the death penalty. Our elected officials need to follow the will of the majority. The are more people murdered in Little Rock along in just two years, than what showed up at this sham of a rally. Capital punishment is not about the criminals, it is about the people they murdered....ie Ledell Lee murdered three women in Jacksonville over twenty years ago, sentenced to death for his henious murders, why has he not been executed?
Jerry J.
November 8, 2012 at 10:31 pm
