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Johnny
Paul Penr's execution was stayed
by the Supreme Court! |
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Supreme Court Blocks Texas
Execution The U.S. Supreme Court blocked Thursday night's
execution of Johnny Paul Penry. The high court said it
wanted more time to decide whether to hear arguments that
Johnny Paul Penry's mental deficiency was not properly
explained to the jury.
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The
Communities of Sant'Egidio throughout the world have been
praying for those condemned to death, in particular for Stacey
Lawton, Tony Chambers and Johnny Paul Penry (Texas) whom they have
got to know through correspondence and with whom they have become
friends. Gianni Guidotti, a Community member, went to Texas to
spend the last hours with Johnny as the latter had requested. On
the evening of the 16th, while prayer vigils were being held in
many cities as a reminder of the coming execution of Stacey and
Tony, and for Johnny's to be stopped, it was announced with great
joy that the Supreme Court of the United States had suspended his
execution.
The
Community of Sant'Egidio has contributed to saving Johnny's life
by drawing the attention and commitment of many to his case:
associations for the disabled (some 1000 and from those of Arche),
to Catholic Episcopal Conferences, representatives of the European
political world and also to symbolic figures (Nelson Mandela,
Desmond Tutu). John Paul II intervened several times through the
Nuncio to the United States, asking that Johnny's case be
reconsidered. The Community is now pursuing its commitment in the
hope of arriving at a definitive suspension.
At
this very time Mario Marazziti is in San Francisco where the
Convention "A Commitment For Conscience: Building a Common
Strategy to Put an End to the Death Penalty" has begun. It is
the largest conference ever convoked of all the movements and
personalities most involved in the campaign for the abolition of
the death penalty, to arrive at a common action.
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Dalla
Corte Suprema Sospesa in Texas l�esecuzione di un
handicappato |
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Texas,
sospesa l'esecuzione - La
Corte "salva" il minorato |
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E
la Corte Suprema ferma un�esecuzione nel Texas di Bush |
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Supreme
Court Stops Execution of Texan |
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High
Court Halts Texas Execution - Condemned murderer Johnny Paul
Penry is shown on death row last month. |
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Indice
Venerd�
17 Novembre 2000
Dalla
Corte Suprema Sospesa in Texas l�esecuzione di un handicappato
********************
WASHINGTON
La
Corte Suprema degli Stati Uniti ha sospeso l'esecuzione, prevista
in Texas per ieri notte, di un ritardato mentale condannato per
aver violentato e ucciso una ragazza di 22 anni. La Corte ha
chiesto tempo per valutare un appello presentato all'ultimo
momento. Johnny Paul Penry, il condannato a morte, sarebbe stato
il 38� recluso giustiziato quest'anno in Texas - un numero
record.
Nel
braccio della morte dell�ormai tristemente famoso carcere di
Huntsville, per lui c�� stata una forte mobilitazione: ieri
l'ultimo appello di Amnesty International e di altre
organizzazioni per la difesa dei diritti umani. I suoi avvocati
sostengono che ha le capacit� intellettive di un bambino di 7
anni e avevano chiedono al governatore di rinviare l'esecuzione di
30 giorni. Insolita la motivazione: Bush Jr. sarebbe troppo
preoccupato dell'esito delle elezioni presidenziali per potersi
dedicare seriamente alla considerazione del caso.
Accanto
a Paul Penry c�� anche un medico della comunit� di
Sant'Egidio, Gianni Guidotti. Quella di Guidotti non � la sola
presenza di solidariet� manifestata dall'Italia: �Nella cella di
Penry sono appesi i disegni dei ragazzi handicappati italiani che
la Comunit� � riuscita a fargli arrivare�, ha detto Mario
Marazziti, di Sant'Egidio.
Decisamente
schierato contro l'esecuzione di Penry anche il �New York Times�:
uccidere un uomo che � da 20 anni nel braccio della morte, scrive
il quotidiano �sarebbe un gesto selvaggio a dimostrazione
dell'ingiustizia del sistema di pena capitale nello stato del
Texas�. Anche il Vaticano ha chiesto clemenza per Penry.
Indice
17
novembre 2000
Texas,
sospesa l'esecuzione - La Corte "salva" il
minorato
WASHINGTON
- La Corte Suprema ha sospeso in extremis l'esecuzione di John
Paul Penry, un minorato mentale e analfabeta di 44 anni,
condannato a morte per stupro e omicidio. Penry doveva essere
giustiziato ieri sera nello stato del Texas, governato
dall'attuale candidato repubblicano alla Casa Bianca. Nei giorni
scorsi, molti giornali si erano pronunciati contro questa
condanna. "Il governatore del Texas George Bush ha il dovere
morale di fermare l' uccisione di una persona che ha l'et�
mentale di un bambino" aveva scritto il "New York Times".
Il Senato del Texas ha provato a varare una legge che impedisce
che i minorati mentali vengano giustiziati ma lo stesso Bush si �
sempre opposto. Il "Dallas Morning News" ha rilanciato
ieri la necessit� di approvare la legge. "Anche i texani che
sono fortemente favorevoli alla pena di morte - ha detto il
giornale - devono considerare questa ingiustizia morale".
Indice
17
novembre 2000
E
la Corte Suprema ferma un�esecuzione nel Texas di Bush
DAL
NOSTRO INVIATO Goffredo Buccini
HUNTSVILLE
(Texas) - E� un simbolo, e non lo sa. Gli occhi spesso vagano
nel nulla. Ma non � solo paura. Negli ultimi giorni s�era
fissato con un pensiero, un rimpianto: �Ma come, ho faticato anni
per imparare a fare la mia firma e, proprio adesso, mi mettono a
dormire?�. Ha sempre detto cos�, Johnny, �a dormire�, solo
alla fine gli avvocati sono riusciti a fargli mandare a memoria
quelle frasi biascicate per le tv e i cronisti: �No, non merito
di morire, la pena di morte � orribile, ditelo al mondo�.
Infagottato nella tuta bianca della prigione, sigillato dietro il
vetro del parlatorio come un pesciolino rosso in un acquario, non
ha mai capito bene cosa stesse succedendo. Non lo capisce neanche
ora che l�orologio della morte s�� fermato, con
un�improvvisa sospensione voluta dalla Corte suprema degli Stati
Uniti, frutto della protesta popolare, forse, della politica
politicante, forse, della Casa Bianca ancora in gioco, forse.
Finora aveva continuato ad aspettarsi solo una puntura nel braccio
e un colpo di sonno, qui, a Huntsville, nell�unit� Walls da cui
nessuno ritorna. Forse la morte � �volare al Polo Nord, dove
abita Babbo Natale�. Il numero di matricola 654 Johnny Paul Penry
fino al colloquio di ieri mattina ha fatto �ciao ciao� con la
mano dietro il vetro, mostrato i bicipiti (�sono forte, eh?�)
alle sorelle, alla zia e ai volontari della comunit� di
Sant�Egidio venuti fin qui da Roma per fare compagnia a lui e
alla sua anima: �Ti sveglier� Ges��. Per ultima cena ha
chiesto tre cheeseburger, cheesecake �e la Diet Coke che non mi
fa ingrassare�. �Adesso non me la daranno pi�?�, ha chiesto
all�avvocato. La sua cella � piena di lettere di solidariet�,
posta da tutto il mondo. Lui non sa leggere: ora qualcuno gliele
legger�.
Quarantaquattro
anni, un omone. Per� ai suoi amici ha regalato disegnini
semplici: gli alberi, una casetta, un sole, scarabocchi colorati
coi pastelli dei bambini. Perch� il suo cervello � rimasto
quello di un bambino di sei anni: quoziente, 56. Sotto i 70,
dicono, manca la capacit� di distinguere il bene dal male. Johnny
di male ne ha fatto molto. Nel 1979 violent� e ammazz� Pamela
Moseley Carpenter, un brava ragazza che cantava nel coro della
chiesa. Per quel delitto, � stato nel braccio della morte
dall�80, vent�anni ad aspettare. �In nome di Pamela e del
popolo�, i Carpenter e i Moseley hanno invocato ancora l�altro
ieri �una fine a quest�attesa� e nessuna clemenza per il
mostro.In nome di Pamela e del popolo, al mostro era stato fissato
un appuntamento con i boia e le siringhe alle sei di ieri
pomeriggio (gi� l�una di stamattina in Italia). La sospensione
� arrivata alle 3 e un quarto.
Perfino
nel mattatoio del Texas si sono chiesti �si pu� uccidere un
ritardato mentale?�. �Mai stato ritardato, Penry, solo lento�,
ha spiegato l�ineffabile procuratore della contea. Per� nei
test, a 15 anni, scambiava un pollo per un tamburo, un cappello
per una bandiera.
Non
conta? La madre lo seviziava e lui ha ancora le cicatrici sul
corpo e nella mente. Non conta neppure questo? Nel pomeriggio
arrivano ragazzi con i cartelli, c�� il palco per la conferenza
stampa. In queste ore a San Francisco cominciano quattro giorni di
meeting contro la pena di morte. �Nemmeno in Cina ammazzano i
ritardati mentali�, protesta William Edwards, uno dei legali di
Johnny. In America � gi� successo 35 volte, in Texas potrebbe
passare a gennaio una legge che lo impedisce. Intanto, mentre
continua la sfida con Al Gore, George Bush, che qui � ancora il
governatore, ha ridato mano libera ai suoi boia. Da agosto alle
elezioni, le esecuzioni erano scese a tre. Dal 9 novembre a fine
anno ne hanno programmate sette. Tre questa settimana: Stacey
Lawton marted�, Tony Chambers mercoled�, Johnny ieri. Per Johnny
le pressioni hanno funzionato.
Lo
sceriffo sulle scale dell�unit� Walls � gentile sotto pegno
d�anonimato. Ha una spiegazione orribile e ovvia: �Il lavoro va
smaltito, amico mio. Abbiamo rallentato troppo dopo l�estate e
adesso dobbiamo correre. Nel braccio della morte aspettano in 450�.
Mai fare attendere il cliente, si capisce. Qui crepare � una
statistica. Michelle, biondina, cartellino �stampa texana�
appuntato in petto, osserva indispettita che mercoled� pomeriggio
�Chambers ci ha messo un po� troppo, il cuore s�� fermato
alle 6,18�. Mattoncini rossi, filo spinato, luci arancioni sui
muri. Questo � Walls. Dicono che i pi� scafati, qua dentro,
scommettano sull�ora dei certificati di morte. Il ristorante in
piazza vende �Killer burger�. Al Museo della Prigione gli adulti
possono ammirare per 2 dollari la vecchia �Sparky�, la sedia
elettrica che dal 1924 al 1964 ha bruciato 361 condannati. Per i
bambini la visita � gratis. Come dice Bush, l�istruzione prima
di tutto.
Indice
November
17, 2000
Supreme
Court Stops Execution of Texan
By
SARA RIMER
HUNTSVILLE, Tex., Nov. 16 A death-row inmate whom the
stateauthorities have found to be mentally retarded received a
stay ofexecution today from the United States Supreme Court less
than fourhours before he was to be put to death by lethal
injection. The court said the stay of execution would last until
it decidedwhether to take the case of the inmate, Johnny Paul
Penry, whichcould happen in a few weeks. Mr. Penry's lawyers are
asking thecourt to consider whether the jury was given the
opportunity toconsider the issues of mental retardation and child
abuse asmitigating factors in deciding to sentence Mr. Penry to
death.Several of Mr. Penry's relatives and a neighbor have said
that as achild he was brutally abused by his mother, who was
mentally ill. The court is often asked to intervene at the last
minute in deathcases, and does so infrequently, and only when the
justices thinkthe case raises a substantial issue. If the court
decides not tohear the case, the stay would end, and the state of
Texas wouldhave to set a new execution date. The court was Mr.
Penry's last chance. On Tuesday the Texas Boardof Pardons and
Paroles denied his appeal for clemency. The court's decision
prevented the case from reaching Gov. GeorgeW. Bush, who would
have had to rule today on whether to give Mr.Penry a 30-day
reprieve all that it is in his power to grant,under Texas law or
to allow the execution. Mr. Bush has presidedover more executions
than any governor in the country. Because ofMr. Penry's low I.Q.,
and with 13 states banning the execution ofthe mentally retarded,
this had become politically sensitive at atime when Mr. Bush is
awaiting the results of the presidentialelection. The news of the
stay was received at the prison here thisafternoon as Mr. Penry's
lawyers and his two sisters, as well asthe family of Pamela
Moseley Carpenter, the 22-year- old housewifewhom Mr. Penry raped
and murdered in 1979, were gathering for theexecution, which had
been scheduled at 6 p.m. "It's very, very difficult
emotionally," said one of Mr. Penry'slawyers, Robert S. Smith,
of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton &Garrison, the New York law
firm that is representing Mr. Penrywithout a fee. "Even at
times like this we think of the MoseleyCarpenter families. There
aren't any victories in this case." Just before prison
officials announced the stay, members of Mrs.Carpenter's family
had been holding a news conference in theparking lot, telling
reporters that they did not believe Mr. Penrywas retarded, and
that they had waited 21 years for him to be putto death.Mr. Penry
had been out of prison for less than three months, onparole for a
rape conviction, when he forced his way into Mrs.Carpenter's home
in Livingston at knifepoint, beat and raped herand stabbed her in
the chest with a pair of scissors. "I'm angry at the system
that's letting us down right now," Mrs.Carpenter's brother,
Mark Moseley, who is the former place kickerfor the Washington
Redskins, said after the family learned of thestay. "This is
killing my mom and dad," he said. "They're worried he'sgoing
to walk out of prison someday." After prison officials
informed Mr. Penry of his stay ofexecution, Larry Fitzgerald, a
prison spokesman, said, "He wantedto know if he could still
have his final meal." Mr. Fitzgerald saidthat Mr. Penry had
already ordered that meal: two cheeseburgers,french fries, soft
drinks and cheesecake. Mr. Penry was to have been the third man
put to death here inthree days, and the 38th person this year,
which would been themost executions in one year for any state
since the Bureau ofJustice Statistics started keeping execution
records in 1930. Therehave been 236 executions here in the past 18
years. They take placein the death chamber inside the maximum
security prison, whichtakes up two blocks in the middle of town.
Yet for the people whotake part in them they are anything but
routine. On Wednesday night, when Tony Chambers was executed, the
state ofTexas tied its own record, of 37, which was set last year.
J. C.Thompson, an officer with the Texas Department of Justice,
wasstanding guard outside the prison when Mr. Chambers's mother,
IdaCheatam, emerged, made her way down the long driveway and
stoodweeping in front of the television cameras. "Have a
drink on metonight," she said. "I lost my son tonight."
Mr. Thompson's expression was resigned as he listened to
Ms.Cheatam's bitter words. "After 23 years, you have to build
a wall,"he said. "Otherwise, you'd go home and eat your
pistol." Mr. Fitzgerald said afterward that executions are
hard on everyoneat the prison. "Nobody likes to see anybody
die," he said. As the chaplain who ministered to death-row
inmates on their wayto execution from 1982 to 1995, Carroll
Pickett was present at 95executions. "I was nauseous many
times," said Mr. Pickett, whoretired from the chaplain's job
and who is also a retiredPresbyterian minister. He spent a day
with Mr. Penry 10 years ago, when he had anotherexecution date,
and was brought to the death chamber from the Ellisunit."I
went through the normal procedures," said Mr. Pickett,explaining
to Mr. Penry that he would be injected with three drugs,which
would put him to sleep, freeze his muscles and stop hisheart. It
would all be painless, Mr. Pickett told Mr. Penry, and hewould die.
"I spent about 30 minutes explaining it to him," the
ministersaid. "After I was done, he said, `When do I get to
go back toEllis?"
Indice
Friday,
November 17, 2000
High
Court Halts Texas Execution -
Condemned
murderer Johnny Paul Penry is shown on death row last month. By
Paul DugganAUSTIN, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Supreme Court today halted
the scheduled execution of admitted Texas killer Johnny Paul Penry,
described by his attorneys as profoundly mentally retarded. The
court said it wanted time to decide whether to review Penry's
claim that jurors in his trial may have felt precluded from
considering his mental condition before voting on a death sentence.
Penry, 44, confessed to the 1979 rape and killing of Pamela
Moseley Carpenter, the younger sister of former longtime
Washington Redskins kicker Mark Moseley. He was first sentenced to
death in 1980, when Texas law did not allow juries to weigh such
mitigating evidence as mental retardation in the penalty phase of
a capital murder trial.The Supreme Court overturned his conviction
in 1989, saying jurors should be allowed to review evidence of
mental retardation. Penry's attorneys now contend that at his 1990
retrial, which included testimony about his mental condition,
jurors may have been confused about whether they were allowed to
factor that testimony into their decision on a punishment. They
voted for death.Prosecutors acknowledge that Penry has a
below-average IQ, but argue that he is not nearly as mentally
impaired as his attorneys describe him."We're very
disappointed by today's decision," said William Lee Hon, a
senior prosecutor in Polk County in East Texas, where the slaying
occurred. "We continue to believe in his guilt and in the
jury's decision that a death sentence was warranted."Penry's
attorneys said they were cautiously optimistic that the Supreme
Court will agree to hear the case and eventually throw out his
death sentence."We're certainly very pleased that Johnny Paul
Penry won't die tonight," said Julia Tarver, one of several
lawyers in Texas and New York who have been handling his appeal
for free. If the high court eventually decides not to hear Penry's
case, the reprieve will be lifted and a Texas court will set a new
execution date.Mark Moseley, a kicker for the Redskins for 12-plus
seasons, was in his sixth year with the team when his younger
sister, then 22, was raped and stabbed to death in her Livingston,
Texas, home on Oct. 25, 1979. Moseley has described his family as
anguished by the years of legal wrangling in Penry's case. Hon,
the prosecutor, today described the family as "extremely
upset" by the Supreme Court decision.Hon and other
prosecutors contend that the calculated nature of Penry's attack
on Pamela Moseley Carpenter shows that he had the mental capacity
to appreciate the consequences of the crime. But his attorneys say
he has the mind of a 6-year-old.Penry's appeal already has a
significant place in Supreme Court case law regarding capital
punishment. When the court in 1989 decided, by a 5 to 4 vote, that
juries in capital murder trials must be allowed to weigh evidence
of mental retardation, it also ruled that executing mentally
retarded prisoners was not a violation of the Eighth Amendment's
ban on cruel and unusual punishment.At the time of Penry's first
trial, in 1980, Texas law said that a jury had to consider three
questions before voting on a penalty of death or life in prison:
Would the defendant pose a future danger to others if allowed to
live? Was the attack on the murder victim unprovoked? And was the
killing deliberate? If jurors decided that the answer to each
question was yes, they should recommend death.The Supreme Court
essentially ruled that a fourth question should be posed: Are
there any circumstances that mitigate against a death sentence?Penry's
second trial, in 1990, was held before the Texas legislature
amended the state's death penalty law to conform with the Supreme
Court ruling. The penalty-phase verdict form that jurors used in
that trial was unchanged from 1980.However, the 1990 trial judge
allowed testimony about Penry's mental condition and instructed
jurors to consider it as possible mitigation. Penry's appellate
attorneys contend that the jurors may have been confused because
the penalty-phase verdict form did not include a question about
mitigation
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