KENTUCKY
COALITION to
ABOLISH the
DEATH
PENALTY
P.O. Box 3092 * Louisville, KY 40201-3092 * 502.636.1330 * kcadp3092@gmail.com * www.kcadp.org
November 6, 2018
Dear Representative,
Congratulations on winning your race and thank you for your willingness to give of your time in
service to the people of Kentucky.
As chair of the Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, | invite you to a special briefing
on this issue scheduled for December 18, 2018 from 3 p.m. — 4 p.m. in Room 125 of the Capital Annex.
After the U. S. Supreme Court struck down the use of the death penalty in 1972 because it was
arbitrary and racially discriminatory, Kentucky along with other states passed legislation to restrict its use
to cases with certain aggravating circumstances to make its imposition impartial. Even so, states have
had difficulty achieving that goal. In October, Washington’s Supreme Court declared that state’s statute
unconstitutional because death sentences were imposed arbitrarily, bringing to 21 the total number of
states and the District of Columbia that have no death penalty.
Since 1976, there have been about 10,000 persons murdered in Kentucky. In each of these years
about 60 of those murders also included another statutory crime making the case eligible for death. It is
estimated that prosecutors in 30 — 50 of those cases decided to seek death. Of the estimated 1200 —
2000 cases in which death was sought less than 100 resulted in death sentences being imposed by jurors
or judges. In fact, many of these cases ended in acquittals.
Through 2011, 58 of the 72 men and women sentenced to death had their sentences overturned
because of flaws in their trials and certain constitutional rights violations. One, Larry Osborne, was
acquitted and released when he received a fair trial after spending three years on death row in Eddyville.
Of those who remained under a death sentence, three have been executed and several have
died on death row of natural causes.
The Coalition’s members oppose execution for many reasons. Some find it morally repugnant for
the government to be ending human life; others are disturbed by the possibility of executing an innocent
man or woman; still others are concerned about the high cost of pursuing 1,200 — 2,000 death sentences
for no perceived benefit. Since 1998, Kentucky has had a sentence of life without parole available as a
means of protecting society and keeping violent offenders out of our communities.
Seven states have abolished the death penalty since 2007 as part of a national trend away from
its use. | hope you will come by Room 125 in the Capital Annex on December 18 to learn more about
problems Kentucky has with the administration of its death penalty as highlighted in the enclosed
brochure. When it is abolished we will no longer have to worry about executing an innocent person.
| look forward to seeing you on December 18, 2018, in Room 125 of the Capital Annex to provide
more information and to answer your questions and address your concerns.
Sincerely,
AY)
Aaron Bentley
Chair, Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Working Together to End the Death Penalty
