From: "Scott Wegenast" <scottw@ccky.org>
To: "Pat Delahanty" <patrickd@mis.net>
Subject: Osborne - Jury Decision 8-02.doc
Date: Friday, August 02, 2002 12:31 PM
NEWS
For Immediate Release
August 2, 2002
Contact:
Reverend Pat Delahanty
Policy Analyst
502-875-4345
502-494-3298(mobile)
Catholic Conference Applauds Jury's Decision in Death Row Case
Frankfort, KY (August 2, 2002) - A Whitley County jury's verdict acquitting
Larry Osborne of the December 1997 murder of Sam and Lillian Davenport is yet
another compelling reason to abandon the death penalty in Kentucky. The jury's
decision clearly brings additional doubt and questions about the integrity of
Kentucky's capital punishment system.
Fr. Pat Delahanty, a policy analyst with the Catholic Conference, said, "The
jury's decision shows once again how human error and weak evidence can
wrongfully sentence people, including juveniles, to death."
Yesterday's dramatic reversal resulted from the Kentucky Supreme Court's review
of Larry Osborne's conviction in 1998, when the trial judge allowed the jury to
listen to "hearsay" testimony of another juvenile and alleged accomplice, 15
year old Joe Reid. In a bizarre twist, Joe Reid died in a swimming accident
after providing his testimony to a Whitley County Grand Jury. Appeal attorneys
argued successfully that this was inappropriate because the prosecution's key
witness could not be cross-examined.
Fr. Delahanty stated, "Larry Osborne has been living with a death sentence for
the past three years and this is yet another example of a broken system that
can't be fixed. Kentucky must abandon the death penalty as twelve other states
have done, including our neighbor West Virginia." The Catholic Conference will
continue to seek legislation abolishing the death penalty in the state.
The Catholic Conference of Kentucky supported legislation in the 2002 General
Assembly to end the use of the death penalty for juveniles. House Bill 477,
sponsored by State Representative Robin Webb, would have eliminated the death
sentence for juveniles. According to Fr. Delahanty, "the Church's opposition to
all executions serves to reaffirm our humanity in the face of inhumane
behavior."
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