Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 08:56:55 -0400
From: Steve Smith <sgs at aginc.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Good news in Maryland?
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

"Strong, Lee" wrote:
>
>         I am much more cautious about Governor Glendening's action and its
> motives.  Recent actions by the state of Illinois tend to support your
> analysis, but I am not aware of evidence or creditable studies in Maryland
> that would support the Glendening action.
>         In Illinois, there was creditable evidence that the death penalty
> was not fairly administered and the Governor there rightfully suspended its
> administration pending a full review of the criminal justice system.
> However, that is somewhat exceptional.  Most of the studies alleging
> problems with the administration of justice are political statements based
> on faulty assumptions about "proper" rates of executions.  I am therefore
> skeptical that Gov. Glendening is acting in the interests of justice versus
> the interests of his political party.

For what it's worth, most (the number I remember is 9 out of 13) people
on MD's Death Row are from Baltimore County, which doesn't have all that
high a murder rate.  There is *one* prosecuting attorney who goes for
the death penalty whenever possible.  I suspect that this is where the
"fairness" aspect comes into it.

--
Steve Smith                                           sgs at aginc.net
Agincourt Computing                            http://www.aginc.net
"Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense."