(All files are streaming VIDEO and AUDIO that require the browser plug-in Realplayer or Quicktime) FROM THE DPIC WEBSITE
VIDEO CLIPS
Coverage of Texas Governor Rick Perry's firing of invesigative team in Cameron Todd Willlingham case
From MSNBC, two segments on the dismissal of a state forensic commission just before they were to launch their investigation of the Cameron Todd Willingham execution, a Texas man convicted of an arson based on disputed forensic evidence.
Billy Moore speaks at the Kentucky Death Penalty Institute on March 18, 2009. For more information about Billy Moore or to purchase his book go to http://www.ishallnotdie.com/
William Neal Moore was on Georgia’s death row for 16 years and was twenty hours away from the electric chair on Aug. 21, 1990, when the parole board commuted his sentence to life. Moore was sentenced to die without ever going on trial, a fact cited by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles at the time as a major factor in commuting Moore’s sentence. Relatives of the victim, Mother Teresa, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson had pleaded for Moore, saying his life was salvageable and that he was contrite for killing a homeowner during a break-in. A year later, he was paroled. Today, Moore is a preacher. He has spoken at Harvard and Yale on the tribulations of the death penalty. “I tell them no one is beyond redemption, even people on death row,” Moore said. “The death penalty is the state carrying out revenge, nothing more, nothing less.” Mr. Moore now lives in Rome, Georgia with his wife, Pastor Donna Moore. After being ordained as a minister, he formed Jesus Christ Prison Ministry. He now speaks in churches, universities, youth detention centers, and prisons.
A video on Jose Garcia Briseno, currently on death row in Texas, awaiting execution on April 7, 2009. Since his incarceration, he has had a profound effect on the lives of many around him and those with whom he has corresponded. This was put together by Briseno's attorney, Richard Burr.
Reporter Lara Logan talks with Tennessee death row inmate Gregory Thompson, who awaits execution for the 1985 slaying of Brenda Lane. Thompson has been diagnosed by multiple doctors as being schizophrenic and suffering from delusions. Link
Journalist Vivian White interviews participants in the lethal injection process in the United States. In this brief excerpt, White speaks with Neal Dupree, the attorney for Angel Diaz, whose execution had to be stopped and administered a second time. The execution took a total of 37 minutes.
"70 x 7: The Forgiveness Equation" is a documentary that addresses the difficult choices for victims' family members in potential death penalty cases. In one thread, two sisters take opposite sides of the debate after the murder of their parents - one who rallies for the execution, the other who is compelled to not seek the death penalty.
In the other, a father whose daughter was killed in the Oklahoma City bombings decides that Timothy McVeigh's execution only perpetuates the same factors that led to the attack. At first filled with rage, he eventually makes the decision to oppose the execution - and meets with the family of McVeigh to talk with them. In the short excerpt here, Bud Welch discusses how he came to those conclusions.
Georgia Execution Involves Racially Biased and Unprepared Defense Lawyer On June 4, Georgia executed Curtis Osborne. Osborne's defense lawyer at trial was racially biased against him and failed to do the most basic investigation that might have saved his client's life. The attorney repeatedly referred to Osborne with a racial epithet, saying, "that little n____r deserves the chair." At the time of the murder that sent Osborne to death row, he was suffering from mental problems and his family had a history of mental illness going back for 3 generations. However, Osborne's attorney failed to raise this issue. His story is recounted in a video prepared by his defense attorneys.
Norfolk Four- Four men, Danial Williams, Joseph Dick, Derek Tice, and Eric Wilson, all veterans of the U.S. Navy, were convicted of a crime they did not commit. Eric has been released from prison, but Danial, Joe, and Derek remain in Virginia prisons serving double-life sentences for a rape and murder committed by another man, Omar Ballard. An objective, comprehensive review of this case by the nation’s leading experts in the fields of forensic pathology, forensic DNA analysis, crime scene reconstruction, and false confessions leaves no doubt that Danial, Joe, Derek, and Eric were wrongly accused, falsely confessed, and are all innocent.Read more information about the case.
The Empty Chair: Death Penalty Yes or No is a documentary film produced and directed by Jacqui Lofaro and Victor Teich that tells the stories of four families confronting the loss of loved ones and voicing different perspectives on the death penalty. The movie also features Sister Helen Prejean, an author and spiritual advisory to those condemned to die, and Donald Cabana (pictured), a former death row warden in Mississippi.
ABC's "World News Tonight" (24 June 2006) Investigates the Innocence and Execution of Carlos DeLuna
In 1989, defendant Carlos DeLuna was executed in Texas for the fatal stabbing of Texas convenience store clerk Wanda Lopez. The three-part Chicago Tribune series by reporters Maurice Possley and Steve Mills can be found here (24-26 June 2006).
This excerpt from BookTV's After Words (aired: January 16, 2005) shows Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, discussing the case of Dobie Gillis Williams. Williams' case is one of two Prejean highlights in her new book The Death of Innocents, published in 2005 by Random House.
To visit Sister Helen Prejean's Web Site, Click Here.
The Documentary DEADLINE, which follows the decision of then Illinois Governor George Ryan to empty the state's death row in January 2003, will be shown during a special 2-hour Dateline on NBC, July 30, 2004. A feature presentation at the 2004 Sundance film festival, the documentary was praised by film critics, including Roger Ebert who noted that Deadline was "all the more effective because it is calm, factual and unsensational."
For more information on the film, Click Here.
To view the film's trailer, Click Here.
The American Bar Association has prepared a video on their resolution calling for a moratorium on executions.
SLEEPING LAWYER
(The Alliance for Justice)
George McFarland (still on death row in Texas) had a lawyer who slept through parts of his trial.
EARL WASHINGTON, MENTALLY RETARDED, CONFESSED TO A CRIME HE DID NOT COMMIT
(CNBC-TV)
In 1983, police convinced Earl Washington to make a statement concerning the rape and murder of a woman in Culpeper, VA, in 1982. The statements were used against him and in 1984 he was convicted and sentenced to death. Sixteen years later, DNA tests confirmed that Washington was innocent and he received an absolute pardon.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN THEIR OWN WORDS (CNN)
("CNN & Time," January 9, 2000)
BILL COSBY ON LARRY KING LIVE
Bill Cosby discusses the loss of his son with Larry King and the closure he found without the death penalty for the murderer. [More] (CNN, December 10, 2003)
TIME OUT: PERSPECTIVES ON NEW JERSEY'S DEATH PENALTY
This video highlights the need for death penalty reform and a moratorium on executions in New Jersey. The video, narrated by Susan Sarandon, features national death penalty experts discussing issues such as cost, the execution of those with mental illness, and the exoneration of innocent inmates.
MARIO MARQUEZ, IQ of 65, EXECUTED IN TEXAS IN 1995
(ABC-TV)
Mario Marquez had the adaptive skills of a 7 year-old. His trial counsel testified at a clemency hearing that he did not present any evidence of Mario's mental retardation because of a legal flaw in the Texas death penalty statute. Marquez was executed on January 17, 1995.
SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY This Massachusetts Senator speaks on DPIC and the Death Penalty.
RICHARD DIETER ON BBC WORLD NEWS
Richard Dieter, DPIC's Executive Director, discusses the John Muhammad death sentence in Virginia with BBC-TV in London. (BBC, November 25, 2003)
NEW JERSEY AND THE ROAD TO ABOLITION
This video, produced by Equal Justice USA, describes the work that went into the succesful campaign to abolish the death penalty in New Jersey in 2007. For more videos from Equal Justice USA, visit their YouTube page by clicking here.
AUDIO CLIPS
All Things Considered - National Public Radio - September 16, 2009
An interview with Stephen Majors, an Associated Press reporter who was present for the botched execution of Ohio death row inmate Romell Broom. After two hours of searching, the execution team was unable to find a suitable vein to apply the injection method, and the execution had to be rescheduled. For more information, click here. For a timeline of the Broom execution, click here.
The interview can be found on the NPR website by clicking here.
DPIC Podcasts
DPIC Podcast - Episode One: Arbitrariness
The first DPIC Podcast, this covering the issue of arbitrariness in the death penalty. To subscribe, click here. You can also download the episode by clicking here.
DPIC Podcast - Episode Two: Clemency
Covering the issue of clemency in the death penalty.
DPIC Podcast - Episode Three: Cost
Covering the issue of cost in the death penalty.
DPIC Podcast - Episode Four: Deterrence
Covering the issue of deterrence in the death penalty.
DPIC Podcast - Episode Five: Innocence
Covering the issue of innocence in the death penalty.
FROM OTHER WEBSITES
VIDEO CLIPS
Scott Drake of Speaking of Justice talks with DPIC director Richard Dieter about the 2008 year end report, which found a decline in the application of the death penalty.
Death by Design: A Discussion Centered on the Death Penalty in the U.S.
A new DVD resource that delves into the issue of capital punishment in the United States, aiming to help viewers reflect on their own positions on the death penalty and stimulate discussion on the topic. Death by Design is available for purchase for $12.95 including shipping & handling. Quantity discounts are available. Individual copies are available free of cost upon request. To order, please contact:
Rose River Publishing
P.O. Box 320413
Alexandria, VA 22320
Phone: (703) 768-2380
Email: herbpuscheck@cox.net
A video by the Fair Trial Initiative that explores the egregious flaws in the resentencing trial of Jerry Conner, on death row in North Carolina (2007).
This video also includes a discussion of death penalty trends with DPIC's Richard Dieter and an interview with former Texas death row chaplain Carroll Pickett (2008).
March 9, 2007 - 17th Annual DePaul Law Review Symposium:
Protecting the Constitutional rights of someone facing the death penalty is a complex and compelling challenge, especially when that person is a member of a class that is often underrepresented and misunderstood within the legal system. To ensure that the rights of all members of all classes are protected, DePaul's Center for Justice in Capital Cases has committed itself to reforming the administration of the Death Penalty System one life at a time. (free on iTunes)
Dan Rather Reports reveals new details surrounding two capital murder cases in Texas - leading to the executions of two men that may have occurred as the result of flawed evidence. Dan Rather speaks with key players in the cases of both Ruben Cantu and Carlos De Luna both of whom died by lethal injection in Texas where more than one-third of the nation’s executions take place.
This film was shot during a media tour in November 2005, between the executions of Steven McHone (11/11/05) and Elias Syriani (11/18/05) by Scott Langley of Langley Creations (released 2007).
In “Freedom to Live: The Death Penalty,” the compelling stories of people personally affected by the U.S.’s death penalty system offer a unique window into the system’s unfairness and inhumanity. This is a production of the ACLU (2007).
After a California judge ruled that lethal injection is unconstitutional and Florida suspended executions, PBS tackles the question of whether or not lethal injection is ethical (December 19, 2006).
This is a collection of videos from the 2006 Conference. There are videos of the different panels and interviews with the wrongfully convicted (April 7-9, 2006).
A streaming video on the death penalty from the American Constitution Society's first National Conference August 1-3, 2003 in Washington, DC, featuring Bryan Stevenson of Equal Justice Initiative.
"Burden of Proof" Calls for Moratorium on Executions in North Carolina: "Burden of Proof" is a 32-minute documentary detailing the need for a moratorium on executions in North Carolina. The video was prepared by New Context Video Productions and offers evidence to suggest that North Carolina's capital punishment system is badly broken and in need of a legislative review. (June 2003) Watch the video.
On Thursday, May 1st, the PBS program "Frontline" aired an investigation into what happens to wrongly convicted inmates on death row after they've been exonerated and re-enter society. The program explores the many social, psychological, and economic challenges facing death row exonerees, many of whom are released with no financial or transitional assistance whatsoever. Watch a preview of this program.
Requires iTunes. From an October 17, 2009 symposium held on criminal justice issues.
Witness to an Execution
This program, narrated by a former warden of "The Walls," in Huntsville, Texas, includes former "Tie-Down" team member Fred Allen discussing the trauma he experienced stemming from his involvement in over 150 executions in Texas. The entire program is available at http://www.soundportraits.org/on-air/witness_to_an_execution/
Hector Black's daughter was murdered after she surprised an intruder in her Atlanta home. In this powerful recording, Black discusses how he found peace in forgiving the man who murdered his child. (February 8, 2008)
November 2, 2007 - Executions are on hold in America until the US Supreme Court decides whether lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment. Is it time for the states to review the death penalty process from arrest to conviction? (free on iTunes)
October 30, 2007 - Are lethal injections unconstitutional in the United States? Sister Helen Prejean and Professor Robert Blecker speak. Plus: should intercept evidence be admissible in UK courts? Law in Action hears from spooks and prosecutors on both sides of the debate. (free on iTunes)
Weekend Edition Saturday, September 22, 2007 · Congress says the Attorney General can fast-track death penalty cases in states that give capital defendants adequate representation. It's the latest effort to cut down on the amount of time prisoners spend on death row.
This edition of Justice Talking takes a look at capital punishment and asks the age-old questions about whether the death penalty is appropriate retribution for heinous crimes, whether it deters criminal activity and whether it can be administered in a fair and humane way (March 26, 2007).
The Faces of Wrongful Conviction Conference, hosted by the ACLU of California affiliates and the UCLA School of Law from April 7-9, 2006, facilitated the first-ever gathering of California's wrongfully-convicted and exonerated individuals. These are their stories.
Melissa Block from All Things Considered talks with James Abott, Police Chief of West Orange: New Jersey, about the Legislative Commission's recommendation to abolish the death penalty.
NPR Radio interviews North Carolina Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake, Jr. regarding the new "Innocence Board." This board will investigate claims of innocence among prisoners.
"Deadly Decisions" is a new documentary from American RadioWorks, airing on public radio stations around the nation and available on the Internet. The program, created by independent producer and veteran journalist Alan Berlow, explores cases where death sentences were handed down, even though jurors were confused or racially biased. In recent years, a sizable number of former jurors in capital cases have stepped forward to assert that they did not fully understand their responsibilities. Others have said they were confused by the instructions given to them by a judge or failed to understand basic concepts such as mitigation. In a handful of prominent cases, jurors have acknowledged sentencing defendants to death as an "insurance policy" because they were unaware that life without parole was an alternative.
The DIANE REHM SHOW: A Discussion with Richard Dieter, Andrew Kohut and Joshua Marquis
This program featured panelists Andrew Kohut of the Pew Center for the People and the Press, Joshua Marquis of the National District Attorneys Association, and Richard Dieter of DPIC. (Program aired on 5/16/01)
The DIANE REHM SHOW: Panel Discussion on a Moratorium on Executions in Maryland
This program featured panelists John McAdams of Marquette University and Richard Dieter of DPIC discussing the moratorium on executions in Maryland and what studies show about capital punishment in the U.S. (Program aired on 5/13/02)
John Dimsdale interviews Diann Rust-Tierney of the ACLU Capital Punishment Project and Richard Dieter of DPIC about the decline in public support for the death penalty. The audio clip also reports on the high cost of the death penalty, DNA testing, and the Innocence Protection Act. (NOTE: Forward ahead 10 minutes 30 seconds into the show for the death penalty segment.) (Program aired on 6/8/01)
Frank Jung, an assistant to Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, recently told the Missouri Supreme Court that it should not concern itself with mounting evidence that death row inmate Joseph Amrine might be innocent. Jung said the Court's sole consideration must be whether Amrine's constitutional rights had been violated, and he noted that even if DNA evidence conclusively exonerated an inmate, the court would need a constitutional violation to stop an execution. One judge asked Jung, "Is it not cruel and unusual punishment to execute an innocent person?" Jung responded, "If there is no underlying constitutional violation, there is not a right to relief." (Kansas City Star, February 8, 2003) Listen to the exchange about whether a judge can knowingly order the execution of an innocent person.
NPR's Morning Edition features a discussion about the recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the competent counsel provision of the Innocence Protection Act. The audio clip features testimony from former Oklahoma City bombing prosecutor Beth Wilkinson; Stephen Bright, Director, Southern Center for Human Rights; Senator Orrin Hatch, ranking Judiciary Committee Member; and Michael Graham, a wrongly convicted man who spent 14 years on Louisiana's death row before being exonerated. (Program aired on 6/28/01)
Sound Portraits: "Parents at an Execution" - Listen to the mother of Texas death row inmate Delma Banks, and the parents of Richard Whitehead, the man Banks was convicted of killing, as they reflect on what it was like waiting as Texas prepared for Banks' execution, originally scheduled for March 12th, 2003. See www.soundportraits.com for more information, including photographs of the parents, a message from Delma Banks to his mother, and information on Banks' appeal for a stay of execution.
PUBLIC INTEREST: Interview with Kirk Bloodsworth
Public Interest, with host Kojo Nnamdi, features an interview with Kirk Bloodsworth, a former death row inmate exonerated by DNA evidence. Bloodsworth joins a panel of experts to discuss the role DNA technology should play in death row appeals. Panelists include: Brooke Masters, Washington Post Reporter; Gary Bair, Chief of the Criminal Appeals Division, Office of the Maryland Attorney General; Delegate James Almand, Virginia House of Representatives (D-47); and Richard Dieter, Executive Director of DPIC. (Program aired on 12/12/00)
The Death Penalty Information Center is pleased to present a series of podcasts on capital punishment issues. Our first podcast is on Arbitrariness.
Click the player to hear the arbitrariness podcast.
Subscribing
To subscribe to our podcast, you can:
1. Click here to automatically add it to your iTunes directly.
2. If #1 doesn't work, Copy this link (Right click, copy link location), Open iTunes and under "Advanced" go to "Subscribe to podcast." Put in the URL and click OK. When a new podcast episode comes out, your iTunes will automatically download it.
Additionally, you can visit our Multimedia page to listen to it directly.
and AUDIO 
that require the browser plug-in Realplayer or Quicktime)
This video also includes a discussion of death penalty trends with DPIC's Richard Dieter and an interview with former Texas death row chaplain Carroll Pickett (2008). 