Execution Alert

The State is preparing to execute Max L. Payne on October 8th. This will be the sixth execution this year. Please contact the Governor and let your voices be heard!

- Max L. Payne           October 8th, 2009

Please contact Governor Bob Riley and ask him to stay the execution of Max L. Payne set for October 8th, 2009, and to institute a moratorium during which Alabama's capital punishment system could be thoroughly studied and proposals implemented.

THE HONORABLE GOVERNOR BOB RILEY

STATE CAPITOL N 104
600 Dexter Ave
MONTGOMERY, AL 36130 2751 
PHONE 1-334-242-7100
FAX: 1-334-353-0004
Email: http://governor.alabama.gov/contact.aspx 

Suggested Talking Points for the upcoming execution

1. Alabama ought to delay all executions to allow for a thorough study of its capital punishment process and consider the serious objections raised as to how it administers the death penalty.

2. Alabama executed three people in 2007 and saw its murder rate rise from 8.3 per 100,000 population to 8.9. It has steadily increased since 2005, when the murder rate for Alabama rose from 5.6 per 100,000 to 8.2. There were four executions that year.

3. According to Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, capital punishment is growing more infrequent nationally, but Alabama sends more people to death row than any other state!

4. Alabama is notorious for its unique law that allows a judge to override without limitations the recommendations of a jury for life in a capital case and order death instead of life without parole.

5. Alabama is also notorious for failing to guarantee legal representation for inmates appealing their capital convictions. The effectiveness of attorneys assigned to indigent suspects is questionable.

6. Income and race are factors and a number of caveats in recent post conviction DNA legislation limits accessibility to DNA testing.