ABA Death Penalty Representation Project

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated and spread the word about #ABAGivingDay! Thanks to your generosity, we raised $4,000 to support the Death Penalty Representation Project’s mission of ensuring effective counsel for every person facing the death penalty. We’re still working to meet our full goal, and if you missed Giving Day last week, there’s time left to make an impact! Contributions can be made until November 1st at https://lnkd.in/gs6AuN7x. You can also support us any time at https://lnkd.in/eqPmtD3u. Every dollar helps us recruit, train, and assist pro bono and capital defense teams to advocate for justice for all. Thank you again for your support!

Today is the day! #ABAGivingDay has arrived, and you can support the right to effective representation for every person facing the death penalty by making a gift to the Death Penalty Representation Project. Any amount is appreciated and makes a real impact on the justice system and on the lives of those we serve. Make your contribution now at https://lnkd.in/gs6AuN7x [givingday.americanbar.org] and learn more about the work of the Project at https://lnkd.in/gKvDkZHd.

Today is American Bar Association Giving Day! It is also National Pro Bono Week. Since I went into private practice, my pro bono focus has been representing those sentenced to death. Today, I am donating to the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project. I serve on the DPRP Steering Committee. For those who aren't familiar, the DPRP recruits and trains pro bono counsel to provide high quality representation to individuals facing the death penalty, provides technical assistance to capital defense teams, promulgates representation guidelines, and engages in systemic reform efforts. I signed up as an Ambassador and will match donations from my network this week up to $500. You can donate at the link below. https://lnkd.in/eAmc5n2V [givingday.americanbar.org] #probono

We’ve reached the end of our countdown to #ABAGivingDay with our final fact you may not know about the death penalty. We hope you have enjoyed this series! Please consider supporting the Project's work by making a gift at https://lnkd.in/gs6AuN7x. #1: Just outcomes in death penalty cases require extraordinary advocacy—and your help. There is no guarantee that justice will prevail in capital cases, even when major errors come to light. Stories of last-minute stays of execution or exonerations can create the illusion that the system “works.” In reality, these outcomes are usually achieved despite a system designed to uphold death sentences by favoring expediency over accuracy. Legal victories result from the relentless efforts of capital defense teams, pro bono lawyers, activists, and many others who fight tirelessly to overcome enormous barriers. Even with these heroic efforts, justice isn’t always within reach; but without this extraordinary advocacy, there is virtually no hope for relief. You can help ensure that every person has a chance to tell their story and protect their rights. Lawyers, no matter their specialty, can make a difference through pro bono service. And anyone can contribute by supporting organizations that advocate for due process and by raising awareness about the urgent need for change. Together, we can turn despair and injustice into hope and opportunity for the most vulnerable among us. Learn how by visiting https://lnkd.in/g_F8Jad2 and clicking “Get Involved.”

Our countdown to #ABAGivingDay continues! Here is another fact you may not know about the death penalty: #2: The same judge who sentenced a person to death often decides whether they can obtain relief. When someone sentenced to death challenges the constitutionality of their conviction or punishment, they must typically return to the same court—and the same judge—that originally imposed their death sentence. While the judge’s decision can be appealed, the factual findings and legal conclusions made in that court are given significant deference at all later stages, including in federal court. This structure creates an uphill battle for the individual seeking relief, increasing the likelihood that even strong claims of constitutional error will be lost. Follow along for more and support the Project on October 24th at https://lnkd.in/gs6AuN7x!

We're continuing our countdown to #ABAGivingDay this Thursday, October 24th, with another fact you may not know about the death penalty: #3: Procedural technicalities can leave courts powerless to overturn a death sentence. Lengthy court proceedings in death penalty cases don’t always ensure reliable outcomes. Much of modern habeas litigation revolves around complex procedural rules that limit federal courts’ ability to grant relief, shifting the focus away from underlying constitutional issues and the accuracy of the jury’s verdict. These rules, intended to speed up executions, have instead slowed the process and significantly reduced the number of people able to obtain relief from unconstitutional or wrongful death sentences. They also demand an exceptionally high level of technical knowledge and skill from defense counsel, leading some to call death penalty appeals the “brain surgery of the law.” Follow along for more and support the Project at https://lnkd.in/gs6AuN7x!

Our countdown to #ABAGivingDay continues with another fact you may not know about the death penalty: #4: Innocence alone isn’t grounds for relief from a death sentence. The risk of executing an innocent person is a common criticism of the death penalty. But the U.S. Supreme Court has never recognized actual innocence as a stand-alone reason to overturn a death sentence. Instead, innocence is only a “gateway” to raise another constitutional claim. This creates a doubly challenging barrier to obtaining relief: a person on death row must first prove their innocence by “clear and convincing evidence,” and then meet the exacting legal standard to establish a separate constitutional violation. Achieving this requires enormous time, resources, and legal expertise that are often not available to those on death row. Follow along to learn more and support the Project on October 24th at https://lnkd.in/gs6AuN7x!

We’re counting down to #ABAGivingDay on October 24th with 5 facts you may not know about the death penalty and capital defense in the United States. Follow along to learn more and support the Project at https://lnkd.in/gs6AuN7x! #5: There is no constitutional right to a lawyer for people on death row who are unable to afford one. Unlike at trial, where the Sixth Amendment guarantees effective representation, people sentenced to death who are trying to challenge their convictions or death sentences are often left without meaningful legal assistance—or without any lawyer at all. Even states that have a statutory mechanism for appointing counsel at this stage do so without any guarantee that counsel will be effective or remedy if they are not. 

#ABAGivingDay is one week away! Increase your impact by donating today! https://lnkd.in/gs6AuN7x

ABA Giving Day is October 24th! The ABA Death Penalty Representation Project works to ensure that no person faces a death sentence without a qualified, dedicated team fighting to protect their rights. Your generous donation directly enables our work, providing critical resources that support our mission. When you give to the Project, the impact of your donation is multiplied by the power of our extensive network and broad staff expertise, which allows our small-but-mighty team of just four to help improve due process in hundreds of capital cases throughout the United States. Increase your impact by giving early and encouraging others to join. Donate today! https://lnkd.in/gs6AuN7x