December 10, 2002: ACLU-TN Renews Call for Moratorium on Executions on Int'l Human Rights Day (12/10)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 10, 2002

For more information, contact
Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director, 615-320-7142

ACLU-TN Renews Call for Death Penalty Moratorium
on International Human Rights Day

Nashville - The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) marks December 10 -- International Human Rights Day -- by renewing our call for a statewide moratorium on the death penalty in Tennessee.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948. In its preamble, the document states that the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world stems from the recognition of the inherent dignity and equal, inalienable rights of all members of the human family.

According to ACLU-TN Executive Director Hedy Weinberg, "On a day meant to observe universal human rights, it is only right that Tennesseans demand that our state stop executing individuals under a criminal justice system that suffers from significant human rights violations. Some of the access to justice issues include inadequate legal representation, prosecutorial misconduct, racial bias, and flawed expert witness testimony."

Weinberg said, "The only conscionable and acceptable solution is to call for a moratorium on all executions until the myriad of problems can be addressed. It is time to thoroughly explore ways of ensuring that innocent people are not executed and that access to justice is available to everyone regardless of their race, national origin, or economics."

Weinberg concluded, "Tennessee demonstrates total disregard for the Declaration's tenet of justice as it relates to death row inmates; the State continues to apply the death penalty even as serious concerns about fairness in its application abound. ACLU-TN calls on our elected officials to demonstrate their commitment to our constitutional guarantees that ensure access to justice and equality for all Tennesseans by supporting a moratorium on executions."