Friends,

The Campaign to End the Death Penalty calls for a demonstration to protest Governor-elect Robert Ehrlich's plans to restart executions in Maryland.
The demonstration will be held outside Ehrlich's inauguration as Maryland's governor on Wednesday, January 15th in Annapolis at 11:30 AM (see attached flyer).

Just weeks after Robert Ehrlich was elected he promised to restart the state's killing machine - setting the stage for a possible seven executions in 2003. He has also pledged to lower the eligible age for execution to 17 years. These things must not be allowed to happen!

As you are aware, Maryland's moratorium on executions was a great step forward for the national anti-death penalty movement. The moratorium followed Illinois in the rising tide of jurisdictions questioning the fairness of the death penalty. Those concerned with racial disparities, lack of fairness, the threat to innocents, and the immorality of state-sponsored killing drew inspiration from this important victory. Now this victory is under attack and we must rally to its defense.

When, on May 9, 2002, Governor Glendening halted executions in Maryland, he cited concerns over racism and geographical disparities on Maryland's death row. Glendening declared that executions would not resume until a comprehensive study of the state's death row was complete and the General
Assembly had a chance to review the study's findings. That study is scheduled for completion at the end of this year.

However, we do not need a study to tell us that Maryland's death penalty system is rife with unfairness. Anyone who has studied Maryland's death penalty knows that it is, and has always been, racist to the core.

Each year in Maryland blacks account for approximately 80% of murder-victims, yet 100% (12 out of 12) of those currently on death row are accused of killing whites. Also, each year in Maryland, black-on-white crime accounts for less than 5% of murders, yet 66% (eight out of 12) of
those on death row are Blacks accused of killing whites. Of the three men executed since reinstatement of the death penalty, two were Black and all three were accused of killing whites.

In addition, since Maryland started keeping track of executions in 1923, Blacks have accounted for 77% of all executions. Also, Blacks facing the death penalty tend to be younger than whites. Blacks account for 88% of those executed for crimes committed under the age of 25.

These facts all coincide with numerous national studies that have found the death penalty to be racially biased. The facts are in: Maryland's death penalty is too broken to fix!

It is important that we register our opposition to Robert Ehrlich's plans to restart the state's killing machine. It is for this reason the Campaign to End the Death Penalty is calling for the demonstration outside Ehrlich's inauguration.

www.nodeathpenalty.org