Declaring the week of February 27 - March 4, 2004, Death Penalty Moratorium Week in Philadelphia; renewing City Council's call for a Death Penalty Moratorium; and commending the staff and community of Pennsylvania Abolitionists United Against the Death Penalty for their dedicated efforts to advance the cause of a statewide moratorium.

WHEREAS, On February 10, 2000, this body overwhelmingly passed Resolution No. 000068, introduced by Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, calling upon the Pennsylvania State Legislature to enact “a moratorium on the imposition of any death penalty in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until a fair and impartial study is conducted”; and

WHEREAS, That resolution noted the abolition of the death penalty by the “vast majority of the democratic nations of the world,” its universal condemnation by international human rights groups, and the calls for a moratorium by the American Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Philadelphia Bar Association; and

WHEREAS, That resolution further noted the enormous role that race plays in the imposition of the death sentence, and that Pennsylvania led the nation in the percentage of people of color who are on its death row; and

WHEREAS, Since 2000, four Pennsylvania death row prisoners have been exonerated, of whom three were Philadelphia residents at the time of their wrongful arrests, prosecutions, convictions and sentencing; and

WHEREAS, Governor Edward G. Rendell promised during his election campaign to call for a moratorium if presented with evidence that there were problems with the imposition and administration of the death penalty in Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, On March 4, 2003, the

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in the Justice System

issued a 550-page report confirming the profound impact of race on the imposition of the death penalty and recommending that the governor, legislature and the Court immediately suspend executions and conduct a full-scale investigation, but to date no action has been taken; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has similarly failed to respond to the 2002 United States Supreme Court decision in

Atkins v. Virginia

declaring the execution of persons with mental retardation to be unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania Abolitionists United Against the Death Penalty has worked diligently to educate the public about the compelling moral, political and legal reasons for a moratorium on the imposition of the death penalty, and has planned lectures, debates, teach-ins, sermons and other activities for the week of February 27 through March 4, 2004, marking the anniversary of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Report on bias in the justice system; now therefore

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, declares the week of February 27 through March 4, 2004, Death Penalty Moratorium Week, renews its call for a moratorium on the imposition of the death penalty, and commends the staff and community of Pennsylvania Abolitionists United Against the Death Penalty for their dedicated efforts to advance the cause of a statewide moratorium.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution shall be forwarded to the members of the Pennsylvania Legislature in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and that an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Pennsylvania Abolitionists United Against the Death Penalty as recognition of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

End