Alaskans Against the Death Penalty
Alaskans Against the Death Penalty (AADP) is a coalition of individuals and organizations who educate the community and policy makers about the facts and myths of the death penalty. Our mission is to keep Alaska free from the death penalty. Click here to contact us!
Annual FISH FRY
Friday, July 27th, 2018 @ 5:30pm
At the home of NANCY GROSZEK
2512 Saint Elias Drive
Featured Speaker: Derrick Jamison
Derrick Jamison was exonerated from death row in Ohio on October 25,2005,20 years to the day after he was sentenced to death in Hamilton County (Cincinnati). Derrick now spends his time educating people about the risks of wrongful conviction. Derrick (pictured in front of Chillicothe Correctional Institution, the home of Ohio's death row) was sentenced to death during the period in which Ohio capital prosecutions were at their peak. Jamison faced six execution dates, and on one occasion came within 90 minutes of execution before being granted a stay.
We always provide exceptional food, fun and fellowship and we welcome side dishes Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged.
Lost? 248-5802
Note: please park on the side of the street of the event
Check us out (and like us) on our AADP FaceBook page. Email Reece for more information at AKreece1@icloud.com or call 907.350.2332.
Click here to download the flyer.
Chili Feed 2018 Photos
Thank you for joining us for the annual AADP CHILI FEED. Great food, fun and education. We are looking forward to seeing everyone next year!
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Alaskans Against the Dealth Penalty Chili Feed
Hugh Fleischer Memorial Chili Feed
Sunday, March 4th, 2018 @ 4:30 pm
Featured Speaker: Will Francome, Film Director/Camera Operator
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Will Francome has been involved in film-making and anti-death penalty work since he wrote and presented his authored feature-length documentary, In Prison My Whole Life which is about the case of death-row inmate, Mumia Abu-Jamal. His latest film, The Penalty, will be shown at the Bear Tooth at 5:30 on Monday, March 5th.
The Penalty is a feature documentary film following three people with extraordinary experiences of America's modern death penalty and goes behind the scenes of capital punishment's most recent headlines. The Penalty will screen throughout the world in 2018. Click here to see more about the movie.
At the home of Lanie Fleischer
1401 W 11th Ave Anchorage
We always provide exceptional food and refreshments and side dishes welcome.
Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged!
IF YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Reece Robert at Akreece1@icloud.com OR Sue Johnson for information at scjohnson@gci.net
Click here to download the flyer.
Annual FISH FRY
Friday, July 28th, 2017 @ 5:30 - 8:00 pm
At the home of NANCY GROSZEK
2512 Saint Elias Drive
Celebrity Judges and Chefs - Silent Auction
Featured Speaker: Rev. Neil Kookoothe & Joe D’Ambrosio
Rev. Kookoothe is a native Toledoan and Catholic Priest ordained in the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio. He is currently pastor of Saint Clarence Church in North Olmsted and has always passionately advocated for the abolition of the death penalty. Complementing his Master’s degree in Theology and Masters of Divinity, Rev. Kookoothe also holds degrees in law and nursing. Rev. Kookoothe met Mr. D'Ambrosio in 1998 while serving as spiritual advisor to several men on Ohio's Death Row. His experience in theology, nursing and law drew his interest to the case and aided Joe in bringing attention to unresolved issues that were never addressed by the legal system or the courts.
Mr. D’Ambrosio served in the US Army and at the young age of 26, he was convicted and sentenced to death (1989). Always maintaining his innocence, his pleas for assistance fell upon deaf ears. Mr. D’Ambrosio said being innocent on death row was the “loneliest, heart-wrenching thing that will haunt him the rest of his life.” Finally, in 1998, he asked Rev. Kookoothe to read his trial transcript and assist him in bringing his case to the attention of the public and the courts. He was released in 2009 after a Federal Judge ruled that key evidence was withheld that would have refuted the States witnesses and pointed to other individuals as perpetrators of the crime. After a lengthy and prolonged appellate process, Mr. D’Ambrosio was exonerated on January 23, 2012 when the Supreme Court of the United States denied the States appeal of the Sixth Circuit opinion upholding the bar to his re-prosecution. Mr. D’Ambrosio is the 140th Exoneree from death row in the United States and the sixth in Ohio.
We always provide exceptional food, fun and fellowship and we welcome side dishes Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged.
Lost? 248-5802
Note: please park on the side of the street of the event
Check us out (and like us) on our AADP FaceBook page. Email Reece for more information at AKreece1@icloud.com or call 907.350.2332. Or you can e-mail Sue at scjohnson@gci.net or call 907.301.5005.
Click here to download the flyer.
Alaskans Against the Dealth Penalty Annual Chili Feed
Sunday, February 26th, 2016 @ 5:00 pm
At the home of Lanie Fleischer
1401 W 11th Ave Anchorage
Sides & Refreshments welcomed (chili will be provided)
Featured Speaker: George White
Wrongly Convicted Speaks Against The Death Penalty
On February 27, 1985 in Enterprise, Alabama, George was living his little piece of the American Dream. Husband of Charlene and father of Tom and Christie, he was a successful, business-degreed executive, Sunday school teacher, little league coach and PTA president -- a yuppie in southeast Alabama. That evening everything changed everything!
When George, vice-president of Townsend Building Supply, Inc., and his wife, Char, stopped at his store after business hours, they thought they were doing a favor for a man who urgently needed an item for an emergency home repair. Instead, they experienced firsthand the insanity and horror of murder. A masked gunman entered the building and shot the pair repeatedly during an armed robbery. George suffered gunshot wounds to his left arm, thigh and abdomen during a struggle with the gunman. Following emergency surgery, George survived. His wife was not so lucky. Char was pronounced dead at the hospital after sustaining two gunshot wounds to the head. Tom and Christie were only twelve and five at the time of their mother's death. The nightmare had only just begun.
Sixteen months later George was charged with the murder of his wife. The State sought the death penalty, and, following a trial that was later characterized as a mockery and a sham, George was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Incarcerated for a total of two years, one hundred and three days, the conviction was overturned in 1989. George remained in legal limbo for nearly three more years. On April 10, 1992, the prosecution asked that the charge be forevermore dismissed when the proof of George's innocence finally surfaced. The trial court so ruled. The ordeal had lasted for more than seven years.
Mark your calendar and bring friends!
A SUGGESTED DONATION OF $25.00 or more is ENCOURAGED.
IF YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
REECE DRINGLE-ROBERT
Akreece1@icloud.com OR
CALL 907-350-2332
Click here to download the flyer.
Annual FISH FRY
Friday, July 29th, 2016 @ 5:00 - 8:00 pm
At the home of NANCY GROSZEK
2512 Saint Elias Drive
Celebrity Judges and Chefs - Silent Auction
Featured Speaker: Billy Neal Moore
Billy Neal Moore spent almost 17 years on Death Row and was scheduled for execution 13 times. Once he came within 7 hours of being electrocuted. Moore is a deeply committed Christian and Pentecostal minister and speaking out against the Death Penalty has been almost a full time job for him. He was finally released from prison in 1992.
The message that Moore delivers, is particularly salient because unlike Death Row survivors who have been released after being found to be innocent, Moore acknowledges his guilt. "Oh, I did it," he says pensively. "I did it, and I pleaded guilty." Moore is the only prisoner who entered a guilty plea to murder to be released from Death Row and paroled. A number of former law students at Northeastern University School of Law assisted in Mr. Moore's representation (even some Alaskans) in the 1980s, because he was represented by professor Dan Givelber.
You won't want to miss hearing Mr. Moore's compelling story.
We always provide exceptional food, fun and fellowship and we welcome side dishes Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged.
Lost? 248-5802
Note: please park on the side of the street of the event
Check us out (and like us) on our AADP FaceBook page. Email Reece for more information at AKreece1@icloud.com or call 350-2332.
Click here to download the flyer.
Hugh Fleischer Memorial Chili Feed
Sunday, April 10th, 2016 @ 4:30 pm
At the home of Lanie Fleischer
(1401 W 11th Ave Anchorage 274-2453)
Food & Refreshments welcomed (some will be provided)
Featured Speaker: Billy Neal Moore
According to an article in The Guardian, Billy Neal Moore spent almost 17 years on Death Row and was scheduled for execution 13 times. Once he came within 7 hours of being electrocuted. Moore is a deeply committed Christian and Pentecostal minister and speaking out against the Death Penalty has been almost a full time job for him. He was finally released from prison in 1992.
The message that Moore delivers, is particularly salient because unlike Death Row survivors who have been released after being found to be innocent, Moore acknowledges his guilt. "Oh, I did it," he says pensively. "I did it, and I pleaded guilty." Moore is the only prisoner who entered a guilty plea to murder to be released from Death Row and paroled. A number of former law students at Northeastern University School of Law assisted in Mr. Moore's representation (even some Alaskans) in the 1980s, because he was represented by professor Dan Givelber.
You won't want to miss hearing Mr. Moore's compelling story.
Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged
Call Sue for information at 301-5005 or 276-5753
Click here to download the flyer.
Annual Fish Fry Fundraiser
Friday - July 29th, 2016 @ 5:30 - 8:00
2512 Saint Elias Drive
(Nancy's Backyard)
Guests: TBA
Note: please park on the side of the street of the event and side dishes are welcome. Mark your calendar and bring friends!
Lost? 248-5802 Info: Call Sue Johnson for information at 276-5753 or scjohnson@gci.net
Click here to download the event flyer.
Annual Fish Fry Fundraiser
The Annual Fish Fry was a great success! Thanks to everyone for their support!
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Hugh Fleischer Memorial Chili Feed
Sunday, March 1st, 2015 @ 4:30 pm
At the home of Lanie Fleischer
(1401 W 11th Ave Anchorage 274-2453)
Food & Refreshments welcomed (some will be provided)
Featured Speaker: Dr. Allen Ault
Dr. Allen Ault was corrections commissioner for Georgia until 1995. He told the BBC the executions he supervised were 'state-sanctioned murder' and 'It stays in your psyche forever.' He goes on to say "it is by every definition premeditated murder...It's the most premeditated murder you can possibly imagine."
Dr. Ault is a trained psychologist who began working in the prison system in order to help and rehabilitate people, but a promotion to the position of corrections commissioner meant the responsibility for overseeing the state’s executions fell to him. During his time at the prison in the early 1990s, Dr. Ault supervised five executions. Dr. Allen Ault is currently Dean at Eastern Kentucky University.
Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged
Call Sue for information at 301-5005 or 276-5753
Click here to download the flyer.
13th Annual World Day of Faith in Action
Sunday, October 5th, 2014 @ 1pm - 3pm
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
(Lake Otis and Tudor)
Featured Speakers: Bill Pelke and Averil Lerman
Amnesty International and Alaskans Against the Death Penalty will sponsor an interfaith vigil; a gathering of faith leaders from a broad spectrum of faith communities and human rights activists to examine the death penalty from faith perspectives and to speak out against the death penalty. We will gather afterward for food and fellowship.
Bill will speak on forgiveness and Averil will speak on the history of the death penalty in Alaska.
For info, please call 333-0431 or 441-4725. You may also email kathyh@gci.net.
Click here to download the flyer.
Hugh Fleischer Memorial Chili Feed
Coming soon in March 2015!
Annual Fish Fry Fundraiser
August 1, 2014 @ 5:30 - 8:00
2512 Saint Elias Drive
(Nancy's Backyard)
Featured Speaker: SueZann Bosler
On December 22, 1986, SueZann Bosler and her father, Rev. Billy Bosler, were attacked in the church parsonage by an intruder. Rev. Bosler was stabbed 24 times. SueZann, in an effort to help him, was herself stabbed in the back and head and left for dead. While lying on the floor pretending to be dead, she heard the intruder ransack the house as she watched her father take his last breath. As a Brethren minister, Rev. Bosler had been an opponent of capital punishment, and had once told SueZann that if he was ever murdered he would not want his killer to receive the death penalty. Click here to read more.
Note: please park on the side of the street of the event side dishes are welcome. Mark your calendar and bring friends!
Call Sue Johnson for information at 276-5753
Click here to download the flyer.
Thanks to everyone who attended the Fish Fry! View pictures in the AADP Photo Gallery!
Hugh Fleischer Memorial Chili Feed
Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 @ 4:30 pm
At the home of Lanie Fleischer
(1401 W 11th Ave Anchorage 274-2453)
Food & Refreshments welcomed (some will be provided)
Featured Speaker: Therese Bartholomew
A former high school dropout and teen mother, Therese is now an inspirational speaker, social justice activist, author and filmmaker. Her writing has been published in Emrys Journal, Iodine, Main Street Rag, The Charlotte Observer, Raising Our Voices, Sun Journal, and Compassion. Her 2009 collection of essays, Coffee Shop God , offers a glimpse into the profound grief that arose when her younger brother was murdered. As a continuation of her journey to heal, she embarked on a mission to meet her brother’s killer behind bars. The Final Gift , documentary, directed by Bartholomew, follows her path to that meeting. This compelling story has garnered the support of universities, faith-based groups, departments of correction, and victims’ advocacy organizations and is fast becoming a catalyst for a national dialogue on restorative justice.
Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged
Call Sue for information at 301-5005 or 276-5753
Click here to download the flyer.
TUNE IN AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Mark Osler is scheduled for Talk of Alaska on Tuesday (tomorrow) at 10:00 a.m. KSKA 91.1 FM, with Steve Heimel.
Professor Osler is the author of “Jesus on Death Row,” and will be the featured speaker for the Caroline Penniman Wohlforth Lectures October 11-13th.
He writes regularly on religion, the law, and related issues for numerous national publications, including Huffington Post, CNN, MSNBC, NPR’s Morning Edition, and ABC. Much of his current work relates directly to reform of the criminal justice system, an issue which is very relevant to our Alaska context.
Friday, October 11, 7:00 pm
Public Lecture: “Jesus Christ, Defendant”
Held at: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 2901 Huffman Rd, Anchorage AK
Saturday, October 12th, 11:00- Noon
Presentation: “Effective Social Advocacy”
1:00 – 2:30 pm Workshop: “Effective Social Advocacy”
Held at: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, , 2222 E Tudor Rd, Anchorage
12th Annual Day of Faith In Action!
Please join us for the annual Day of Faith in Action
Everyone is welcome!
First United Methodist Church
725 W. 9th Avenue
across from the Park Strip
Click here to download the flyer
A Journey of Hope!
20 Years of Journeying - From Violence to Healing. Real comfort with real comfort food. Join us for A Fundraiser for Journey of Hope...From Violence to Healing
Sunday, September 22, 2013
5:00 - 8:00 PM
At the Home of Dirk Sisson & Barbara Hood
10161 Middlerock Road, Anchorage
AADP Annual Fish Fry
Annual Fish Fry
To Be Held Friday, July 26th 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Nancy Groszek's lovely garden
2512 St. Elias Drive
Special Guest: Kirk Bloodsworth
Kirk Bloodsworth was convicted in March of 1985 for the brutal killing and sexual assault of a nine year old girl. The victim was found dead in July of 1984. She had been strangled, raped, and beaten with a rock. Bloodsworth was arrested based on an anonymous call telling police that he was seen with the victim that day and an identification made by a witness from a police sketch that was based on the recollections of five eyewitnesses. Bloodsworth also became the first person to be exonerated from death row through post conviction DNA testing.
Kirk appearance on Colbert Nation: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/427309/june-19-2013/remembering-lorna-colbert
2013 AADP Annual Chili Feed!
Chili provided! Side-dishes and beverages welcome!
March 17th at 5:00 PM
Cost: Donations encouraged
Our special guest speaker will be Terry Steinberg. It is our hope that her son, Justin Wolfe, will be released from Virginia's death row after his recent exoneration, and will join his mother in Alaska.
At the age of 20, Justin Wolfe, ex-high school football player and normal, average, all American, suburban kid was sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit. He has been on Virginia 's death row since 2002 and has had two stays of execution.
Location: 1401 West 11th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska
Google Maps
FREE JUSTIN WOLFE!
Justin Wolfe was wrongfully convicted and was denied the right to due process pursuant to the Fourteenth Amendment during his trial.
View the facebook page hereBig News in Maryland!
There is big news in Maryland today! Governor O'Malley pledged his support for death penalty repeal in Maryland in a meeting with NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous and Maryland NAACP State Conference President Gerald Stansbury!
Contact Governor O'Malley to show your support for death penalty repeal legislation in Maryland, Thank him for his leadership on this issue, and urge him to sponsor the death penalty repeal bill.
Call Governor O'Malley now at 410-974-3901 or 800-811-8336.
Big News in Maryland!
There is big news in Maryland today! Governor O'Malley pledged his support for death penalty repeal in Maryland in a meeting with NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous and Maryland NAACP State Conference President Gerald Stansbury!
Contact Governor O'Malley to show your support for death penalty repeal legislation in Maryland, Thank him for his leadership on this issue, and urge him to sponsor the death penalty repeal bill.
Call Governor O'Malley now at 410-974-3901 or 800-811-8336.
Day of faith in action!
Thanks to everyone who attended and participated in the "Day of Faith in Action" on Sept 29, 2012
Thanks to Everyone who attended!
Thanks to everyone who attended the "Save California Event! Watch our calendar page for future events.
"Crime Victims' Bill of Rights" Signed into Law!
Hours ago Governor Christie signed the enhanced "Crime Victims' Bill of Rights" legislation into law. NJADP advocated for this proposal for two years. It was part of our objective to affect substantive public policy change to benefit surviving relatives of homicide victims and exonorees. The goal is to create a more just and compassionate community in which executions are no longer desired nor acceptable. The proposal signed today will ensure:- Victims are notified about the progress of their case, including any changes in the court schedule, and status of plea bargain negotiations earlier in the process.
- Protection from harassment or abuse by defendants or their supporters.
- Medical assistance that is related to the crime.
Thank you to those who worked on the passage of this bill!
Another "even in Texas" moment!
Here's another "even in Texas" moment for you: This afternoon, the Texas Democratic Party endorsed repeal of the death penalty in its 2012 Platform!! Here's a rough transcription of the platform language:Despite 41 DNA exonerations in Texas in the last 9 years, Rick Perry says he never loses sleep over executing the innocent. Perry has overseen 235 executions in Texas. Detailed research shows that the Texas death penalty system cannot insure that innocent and undeserving defendants are not sentenced to death. Death penalty exonerations have already revealed deep flaws in our State's criminal justice system.
Evidence - including scientific evidence, extensive studies by the Innocence Project, major newspaper and university research strongly suggests that Texas has already executed innocent defendants including Carlos DeLuna, Ruben Cantu, and Cameron Todd Willingham. Former Governor Mark White has stated we must take every step to ensure there is never another innocent man executed.
The application of the death penalty in Texas is disproportionately applied to the poor and minorities. The system has allowed in the past the execution of juveniles, the mentally ill and poor defendants who had such inadequate counsel that their lawyers literally slept through their trials. Other states are increasingly rejecting the death penalty as evidenced by the legislatures in New Jersey (2007), New Mexico (2009), and Illinois (2011).
In order to promote public confidence and fairness in the Texas Criminal Justice system, Texas Democrats call for the passage of legislation that would repeal the death penalty in Texas and replace it with the punishment of life in prison without parole.
Connecticut Repeals death penalty!
(Huffington Post) - Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) signed a bill into law on Wednesday that repeals the death penalty, making Connecticut the 17th state to do so...read more
Thomas Arthur is convicted of a crime that another man has confessed to!
Thomas Arthur is on Alabama's death row, convicted of a crime that another man has since confessed to committing.
Despite this confession and many other irregularities that have surfaced, the state has set his execution date for March 29, just weeks away.
Write Governor Robert Bentley and urge him to allow Thomas Arthur's legal team to conduct the DNA testing that could spare his life.After the confession, the Alabama Supreme Court stayed Mr. Arthur's execution and remanded his case to the trial court for an evidentiary hearing. The court ordered limited DNA testing of the wig that all parties agree was worn by the perpetrator. Although DNA was found on the wig, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences lacks the technology to develop a profile. Thomas Arthur and his attorneys want to re-test the wig, using more advanced DNA technology. But the state of Alabama won't allow it, even though the defense is willing to pay for the testing!
It is unacceptable that the state of Alabama is prepared to put a potentially innocent man to death rather than let him conduct a simple test that could prove his innocence.
David Kaczynski, Linda Patrik, Bill Babbitt
Click Here for pictures and a special thanks from AADP for all of your support.
Photo of David Kaczynski, Linda Patrik, Bill Babbitt Iditirod 2012 Anchorage Alaska
AADP Newsletters and Highlights
2013 Summer Newsletter
2013 is AADP's 20th Anniversary! Don't miss the Annual Fish Fry in July with Special Guest Kirk Bloodsworth...
Journey of Hope Update
- Bill Pelke told the story last week of the brutal killing of his sweet, white haired grandmother and how her death made a life change for him...
Web Sites of Interest
Struck by Lightning
The Continuing Arbitrariness of the Death PenaltyThirty-Five Years After Its Re-instatement in 1976...
Equal Justice USA
Equal Justice USA is a national, grassroots organization working to build a criminal justice system that is fair, effective, and humane, starting with repeal of the death penalty and increased services to families of homicide victims...The Abolition Times
Later this month, NCADP's Alaska Affiliate, Alaskans Against the Death Penalty will celebrate the defeat earlier this year of HB 9, a bill that would have introduced the death penalty to Alaska for the first time since the territory became a U.S. state in 1953...Death Penalty Information Center
Providing information about the application of the death penalty in the United States. This site has eye opening information regarding the death penalty in the U.S. Complete with a searchable Execution Database.National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) was founded in 1976 in response to the Supreme Court decision in Gregg v. Georgia which permitted executions to resume in the United States. Our mission: abolish the death penalty in the U.S. and support efforts to abolish the death penalty world wide.Shouting from the Rooftops!
Did Texas execute an innocent man?
The New Yorker has put together this group of articles that accurately portray real situations in which hind sight tells us that the Death Penalty was obviously not the right solution.Ohio's Lethal Injection Fiascos!
Against the wishes of the victim's family and amidst charges that the rejection of his clemency application was rooted in racial bias, Texas executed Christopher Young (pictured) on July 17, 2018. Young—who had been drunk and high on drugs when he killed Hashmukh Patel during a failed robbery in 2004—had repeatedly expressed remorse for the murder and had been mentoring troubled youth in an effort to prevent them from repeating his mistakes. The victim's son, Mitesh Patel, had urged clemency for Young, saying that he didn't want Young's children to grow up without a father, and that Young could be a positive influence by continuing his mentorship activities. Mitesh Patel, who had an emotional visit with Young the day before the execution, said the meeting left him with "a sense of sadness." "I really do believe Chris Young today is not the person he was 14 years ago," Patel said. "It's really unfortunate that the [pardons] board didn't hear our request for clemency. I feel sadness for his family. They're going to be walking down the same path my family has been on the last 14 years." On July 13, the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole voted 6-0, with one abstention, to deny Young's clemency application. Young's attorneys then filed a civil-rights suit in federal court, seeking a stay of execution on the grounds that the board's decision had been racially biased. Young's lawyer, David Dow, said family members of the murder victim have asked the pardons board six times this century to commute the death sentence imposed on the person convicted of murdering their loved one. "[O]f those six," Dow said, "three are black, two are Hispanic and one is white. Only in the case of the white guy [
