Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Maryland) has commuted four death sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole. (Photo: Gregory Hauenstein/flickr/cc)
Dec 31, 2014
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Wednesday that he would commute the sentences of the state's four remaining death row prisoners, reverting their convictions to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The outgoing Democratic governor, who has been named as a potential president candidate in 2016, said executing Vernon Evans, Anthony Grandison, Heath Burch and Jody Lee Miles would "not serve the public good of the people of Maryland."
The state's General Assembly abolished the death penalty in 2013--but did not apply that ruling to those already scheduled to be executed. That left four people on death row. However, state Attorney General Doug Gansler said in November that Maryland has no authority to put them to death, as there are no capital punishment statutes in place.
On Wednesday, O'Malley reiterated that stance, but went further as he addressed the moral implications of the issue. "In a representative government, state executions make every citizen a party to a legalized killing as punishment," he said.
"[T]here is one truth that stands between and before all of us," O'Malley added. "That truth is this--few of us would ever wish for our children or grandchildren to kill another human being or to take part in the killing of another human being."
O'Malley said he came to his decision after speaking with relatives of the prisoners' victims. "I am deeply grateful and appreciative of their willingness to speak with me," he said Wednesday. "They have borne their grief bravely along with the additional torment of an un-ending legal process."
"The question at hand is whether any public good is served by allowing these essentially un-executable sentences to stand," he concluded. "In my judgment, leaving these death sentences in place does not serve the public good of the people of Maryland--present or future."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Wednesday that he would commute the sentences of the state's four remaining death row prisoners, reverting their convictions to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The outgoing Democratic governor, who has been named as a potential president candidate in 2016, said executing Vernon Evans, Anthony Grandison, Heath Burch and Jody Lee Miles would "not serve the public good of the people of Maryland."
The state's General Assembly abolished the death penalty in 2013--but did not apply that ruling to those already scheduled to be executed. That left four people on death row. However, state Attorney General Doug Gansler said in November that Maryland has no authority to put them to death, as there are no capital punishment statutes in place.
On Wednesday, O'Malley reiterated that stance, but went further as he addressed the moral implications of the issue. "In a representative government, state executions make every citizen a party to a legalized killing as punishment," he said.
"[T]here is one truth that stands between and before all of us," O'Malley added. "That truth is this--few of us would ever wish for our children or grandchildren to kill another human being or to take part in the killing of another human being."
O'Malley said he came to his decision after speaking with relatives of the prisoners' victims. "I am deeply grateful and appreciative of their willingness to speak with me," he said Wednesday. "They have borne their grief bravely along with the additional torment of an un-ending legal process."
"The question at hand is whether any public good is served by allowing these essentially un-executable sentences to stand," he concluded. "In my judgment, leaving these death sentences in place does not serve the public good of the people of Maryland--present or future."
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Wednesday that he would commute the sentences of the state's four remaining death row prisoners, reverting their convictions to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The outgoing Democratic governor, who has been named as a potential president candidate in 2016, said executing Vernon Evans, Anthony Grandison, Heath Burch and Jody Lee Miles would "not serve the public good of the people of Maryland."
The state's General Assembly abolished the death penalty in 2013--but did not apply that ruling to those already scheduled to be executed. That left four people on death row. However, state Attorney General Doug Gansler said in November that Maryland has no authority to put them to death, as there are no capital punishment statutes in place.
On Wednesday, O'Malley reiterated that stance, but went further as he addressed the moral implications of the issue. "In a representative government, state executions make every citizen a party to a legalized killing as punishment," he said.
"[T]here is one truth that stands between and before all of us," O'Malley added. "That truth is this--few of us would ever wish for our children or grandchildren to kill another human being or to take part in the killing of another human being."
O'Malley said he came to his decision after speaking with relatives of the prisoners' victims. "I am deeply grateful and appreciative of their willingness to speak with me," he said Wednesday. "They have borne their grief bravely along with the additional torment of an un-ending legal process."
"The question at hand is whether any public good is served by allowing these essentially un-executable sentences to stand," he concluded. "In my judgment, leaving these death sentences in place does not serve the public good of the people of Maryland--present or future."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.