Showing posts with label event. Show all posts
Showing posts with label event. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Conversion to Moratorium: The Chicago Tribune and the Illinois Death Penalty
Bruce Dold, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and Editorial Page Editor of the Chicago Tribune, comes to ND this week as the third speaker in ND ASK's fall lecture series. Mr. Dold will adress the Tribune's role in the Illinois moratorium process and speak about his personal conversion and the editorial page's conversion on the death penalty, at 7:30 pm on Monday, Nov. 5 in the Hammes Student Lounge in Coleman-Morse.
Please click below for more about Mr. Dold.
Mr. Dold joined the Tribune in 1978 as a reporter. He covered the 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns and the mayoral campaigns of Harold Washington and Richard M. Daley. He was appointed to the Tribune’s editorial board in 1990 and became deputy editor of the board in 1995. That same year, he began writing a weekly column that appeared on the Commentary page of the Tribune. He was named editorial page editor of the 155-year-old newspaper in July, 2000.
Mr. Dold received the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 1994 for a series on the death of a three-year-old boy and the failure of the juvenile court and child welfare system to save the child. His writing contributed to sweeping reforms in the protection and care of abused children in Illinois.
He received the 1999 Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Award for Commentary, the 1999 Herman Kogan Award for Commentary from the Chicago Bar Association, and the 1988 Peter Lisagor Award for public service from the Chicago Headline Club. He served as a Pulitzer Prize juror in 1997 and 1998. His work has been honored by numerous civic organizations.
Under his direction, the Tribune editorial page has received more than dozen major awards, including the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for editorials demanding reform of the death penalty system.
He has often appeared on national television and radio programs, including Nightline, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Hardball with Chris Mathews.
Mr. Dold received a Bachelor of Science in Journalism in 1977 and a Master of Science in Journalism in 1978 from Northwestern University and has served as an instructor at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.
In his own words
Bud Welch describes his experience following the death of his daughter:
“I was opposed to the death penalty all my life until my daughter Julie Marie was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. For many months after the bombing I could have killed Timothy McVeigh myself. Temporary insanity is real, and I have lived it. You can’t think of enough adjectives to describe the rage, revenge, and hate I felt. But after time, I was able to examine my conscience, and I realized that if McVeigh is put to death, it won’t help me in the healing process. People talk about executions bringing closure. But how can there be closure when my little girl is never coming back. I finally realized that the death penalty is all about revenge and hate, and revenge and hate are why Julie Marie and 167 others are dead.”
Mr. Welch will be speaking at Notre Dame this week, on Nov. 7 at 8 pm in the CSC Classroom; on Nov. 8 at 12 noon in the Law School and on Nov. 8 at 7:30 pm in the Hesburgh Center.
"Vengeance Solves No Problems"
Bud Welch lost his 23-year old daughter in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. In the months after her death, he changed from supporting the death penalty to taking a public stand against it, inspired in part by his daughter's stance against the death penalty prior to her own murder.
Mr. Welch will be speaking at Notre Dame this week, on Nov. 7 at 8 pm in the CSC Classroom, on Nov. 8 at 12 noon in the Law School and on Nov. 8 at 7:30 pm in the Hesburgh Center. Click below for more.
Mr. Welch has testified before the U.S. Congress, many State Senate and House Judiciary Committees, made numerous radio and TV appearances, and met frequently with the father of Timothy McVeigh. He has addressed the British Parliament and the European Parliament as part of the Amnesty International Journey of Hope in Paris, London and Brussels.
His work as a speaker and advocate has been widely recognized. In 1997 Mr. Welch was awarded the "Champion of Justice Award" by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He was given the "Abolitionist of the Year Award" in 1998 by the Okalahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, the "Felton Humanitarian Award" from Death Penalty Focus of California, the "Spirit of Compassion Award" of the Prison Action Committee in Buffalo, New York and the ACLU Oklahoma Foundation "Anti-Death Penalty/Prison Project Award." In 1999 Mr. Welch received the "Abolitionist of the Year Award" from the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. And in 2002, he was named "Abolitionist of the Year" by Coloradans Against the Death Penalty.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Juan Melendez to speak at ND on Wednesday, 10/3
Juan Melendez, an innocent man who spent 18 years on death row in Florida, will speak this Wednesday, October 3 at 5 pm in DeBartolo 102. His lecture is open to the public; his trip to ND is sponsored by the Hispanic Law Student Association and the American Constitution Society of the ND Law School.
Juan Melendez became the 24th person exonerated and released from Florida's death row when he was freed on January 3, 2002 after spending almost 18 years facing execution for a crime he did not commit. The photo above was taken upon his release from prison.
Melendez was convicted in 1984 at the age of 33 with no physical evidence linking him to the crime and testimony from questionable witnesses. In fact, prosecutors concealed evidence from the court in order to protect the guilty man, a police informant. Melendez's conviction fell apart when the police informant's confession came to light in 1999 - a confession that prosecutors knew about before they took Melendez to trial.
Upon his release, the state of Florida gave Melendez what they give to every inmate that leaves prison - $100.
Contact us for more information on Melendez and his lecture, at notredameask@gmail.com.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Richard Dieter to speak September 20
Mr. Richard C. Dieter, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center, in Washington DC, will speak at Notre Dame on Septmeber 20. His lecture, The Death Penalty in America--Present and Future, will be at 7pm in the Hesburgh Center Auditorium on Notre Dame's campus.
Mr. Dieter, himself a graduate of ND, is an attorney and an Adjunct Professor at Catholic University's School of Law. He has been the Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, DC since 1992. The Center is a non-profit organization serving the public and the media with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment. The Center prepares in-depth reports, issues press releases, and conducts briefings for journalists and others working on this issue.
Mr. Dieter has worked for many years on issues related to human rights and the death penalty, including work as the director of the Community for Creative Non-violence’s pre-trial release program, the founder of the Alderson Hospitality House for visitors to the women’s federal prison in Alderson, West Virginia, and the founder of the Quixote Center’s death penalty project. He has given numerous speeches at universities and is frequently quoted in the major newspapers around the country. He has appeared on NBC Nightly News, ABC World News, CBS Evening News, The Today Show, PBS News Hour, Fox News, CNN, C-Span, Court-TV, and many other programs.
He has testified about the death penalty before numerous state legislatures and has prepared reports for the U. S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights. He has authored articles on the death penalty for both magazines and scholarly journals. His most recent publications are: A Crisis of Confidence: Americans' Doubts About the Death Penalty; Innocence and the Crisis in the American Death Penalty; and The Death Penalty in Black and White: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides. He has been an invited speaker at international events in Taiwan, Tokyo, Paris, and London, and recently testified before the European Parliament in Brussels.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Seats still left for Vigil!
At approximately midnight tonight, after 23 years on death row, David Woods will be executed at the Michigan City Prison. We fully intend to demonstrate to the Governor that this is not done in our name.
For those of you in the South Bend area, there are still several seats available on our bus to Michigan City tonight. The bus will be leaving at 9:45pm from McKenna Circle on campus which is located on Notre Dame Ave. Please register ahead of time so we know to expect you!
Due to the time change between South Bend and Michigan City, the bus will be returning back to campus around 2:30am. The bus is free of charge and we encourage anyone who is interested to please join us for this important event.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Achieving the Inevitable: Ending the Death Penalty in Indiana
We are proud to finally announce our title --Achieving the Inevitable: Ending the Death Penalty in Indiana-- and schedule for the upcoming forum on April 27th-29th.
If you haven't already registered, click here to do so!
Click below to expand this post and see the schedule.
Friday, April 28
7:30 pm, Opening Remarks
8:00 pm, Screening of The Exonerated
(Jordan Auditorium)
Saturday, April 29
9:30 - 10:45, Breakfast and Keynote Address by Paula Sites, Assistant Executive Director of the Indiana Public Defender Council (Center for Social Concerns)
11- 12:15, Panel Session 1:
The American Bar Association & Indiana: Moving toward a Moratorium
(Room 121, Mendoza College of Business)
Prison Ministry: Building Relationships with Death Row Inmates
(Room 122, Mendoza)
Mental Illness and the Death Penalty: Arbitrary, Capricious and Inhumane
(Room L014B, Mendoza)
12:30 - 1, Presentations:
Indiana's Movement Against the Death Penalty
--Chris Hitz-Bradley, President, Indiana Information Center for the Abolition of Capital Punishment
(Room 121, Mendoza College of Business)
From Death to Detention: 18th Century Great Britain's Penal System as the End to Capital Punishment
--Professor Sean O’Brien, Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies
(Room 122, Mendoza)
Sane Punishment for the Mentally Ill
--Kathleen Bayes, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness – Fort Wayne
(Room L014B, Mendoza)
1-1:50, Working Lunch:
Group Discussions with Guest Speakers and Panelists on Students’ Role in the Movement for a Moratorium in Indiana
2-3:15, Panel Session 2:
The American Bar Association & Indiana: Moving toward a Moratorium
(Room 121, Mendoza College of Business)
The Role of Religion and Churches in Ending Indiana’s Death Penalty
(Room 122, Mendoza)
The Role of Indiana’s Media in the Movement for a Moratorium
(Room L014B, Mendoza)
3:30-4:30, Action and Information Session on the May 4th Execution of David Woods:
--Discussion of ND ASK’s planned response to the pending execution of David Woods, including a petition to Governor Mitch Daniels and a vigil at Michigan City prison. Also, Wanda Callahan, longtime spiritual adviser to David will speak to his rehabilitation and their twenty-year friendship.
7:30-9, Film Screening: The Thin Blue Line
(Jordan Auditorium)
9:15, Grotto Vigil:
--In remembrance of the victim of David Woods’ crime, Juan Placencia, and his family
Sunday, April 29
9:30 – 11, Breakfast and Closing Remarks:
(Oak Room, South Dining Hall)
Click here to register now!
Speakers and location subject to change. Updates will be sent to those registered for the forum and posted regularly on our blog.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
ND ASK to Hold Execution Vigil at Michigan City Prison
Notre Dame's Campus Ministry has been generous enough to sponsor a bus load of protesters for a vigil at Michigan City Prison on the night of David Woods' execution (May 3rd-May 4th, the execution occurs at midnight). ND ASK is now taking seat reservations for the bus. The transportation is free of charge and is open to anyone who is interested, including anyone outside the Notre Dame community.
We hope to fill the bus and show our support for a moratorium against the death penalty while bearing witness to the tragedy of capital punishment. Details and updates on the vigil will follow. Please fill out the form below to reserve a seat. Vigil updates and details to follow via e-mail and on the blog.
Additionally, plans for a vigil in remembrance of the victim, Juan Placencia, and his family are in the works and details will be posted soon.
Monday, April 16, 2007
ND ASK Spring Forum Registration
ND ASK is proud to announce its first annual forum on the death penalty at which we will address the growing national trend towards moratoriums and abolition as well as the evolution of various legal issues. The primary focus will be how to harness and accelerate this national trend here in
The forum will feature several panel discussions on topics such as legal issues regarding mental illness and lethal injection, the importance of the media’s role in ending the death penalty, as well as a keynote speech by Assistant Executive Director of the Indiana Public Defenders Council, Paula Sites.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
ND ASK Meeting Thursday, 2/22
This Thursday (2/22) we will be holding a large organization meeting at 6 PM in the CSC coffeehouse. We will be discussing our spring agenda as well as announcing the creation and purpose of several committees:
- State and Community Networks Committee
- Fundraising Committee
- Academic Conference Coordination Committee
- Victims Families Outreach Committee
Additionally, there are several roles that we are looking for volunteers to take on:
- Press Relations Coordinator
- Co-Sponsor/Coalition Relations
For those who cannot attend but wish to learn more about our plans and how to play a role in the campaign, please e-mail us for information.
See you there!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Dale Recinella Talks Cancelled
Due to several flight cancellations, Mr. Recinella will not be able to join us here at Notre Dame for his scheduled talks, despite his best efforts.
We will be doing our best to bring his informative and passionate talks to campus sometime later this spring. Until then, be sure to check out his website iwasinprison.org for insight into the great work that he and his wife do.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Death Row Chaplain to Speak at ND
Florida Death Row lay chaplain and '76 Law School alum, Dale Recinella, will be on campus this Wednesday and Thursday to speak about his experiences ministering to those who have been sentenced to death and to share his opinions and insights about the death penalty. We were lucky enough to have Mr. Recinella with us to speak in the fall and we're blessed to have him this second time. If you didn't see him last time, you can't afford to miss hearing his intensely personal and passionate observations of our justice system and capital punishment.
Dale will be giving two different talks during his stay with us at Notre Dame:
"The Death Penalty Leaves No Survivors"
Wednesday, 2/14 at 7:00PM in the Hesburgh Center, Room C-103
"A Tour Inside Death Row and Solitary Confinement"
Thursday, 2/15, 12:00 Noon in the Law School, Room 120
You can read more about Mr. Recinella's work and background at his website, www.iwasinprison.org or check out his book, The Biblical Truth about America's Death Penalty.
We hope to see you there!
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