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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 2024)
Page 2 September 25, 2024 The Most Executions Set in Decades! 5 Executions Set Over a Week’s Span in the US AP- Death row inmates in five states are scheduled to be put to death in the span of one week, an unusually high number of executions that defies a yearslong trend of decline in both the use and support of the death penalty in the U.S. If carried out as planned, the executions in Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas will mark the first time in more than 20 years — since July 2003 — that five were held in seven days, ac- cording to the nonprofit Death Penalty In- formation Center, which takes no position on capital punishment but has criticized the way states carry out executions. The first execution was carried out on in South Carolina, and if the other four scheduled this week proceed, the United States will have reached 1,600 executions since the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976, said Robin Maher, the center’s executive director. The first of the five executions took place on Friday when South Carolina put inmate Freddie Owens to death for the 1997 killing of a convenience store clerk during a robbery. It was South Carolina’s first execution in 13 years, an unintend- ed delay caused by the inability of state prison officials to obtain the drugs need- ed for lethal injections. To carry out exe- cutions, the state switched from a three- Joseph Amrine, who was exonerated two decades ago after spending years on death row, speaks at a rally to support Missouri death row inmates Marcellus Williams on Wednesday Aug. 21, 2024, in Clayton, Mo. (AP Photo/Jim Salter) drug method to a new protocol of using a single sedative, pentobarbital. Alabama is preparing to carry out the nation’s second execution ever using ni- trogen gas after becoming the first state to use the new procedure in January. Alan Miller is set to die by the process in which a mask is placed over the inmate’s head that forces the inmate to inhale pure ni- trogen. Miller, who was given a reprieve in 2022 after his execution was called off when officials were unable to connect an intravenous line, was sentenced to die af- ter being convicted of killing three men during back-to-back workplace shootings in 1999. Texas is scheduled to execute Travis Mullis, a man with a long history of mental illness who has repeatedly sought to waive his right to appeal his death sentence. Mullis was sentenced to death for kill- ing his 3-month-old son in January 2008. Mullis’ attorneys did not plan to file any appeals to try and stay his lethal injection. Also in Missouri, Marcellus Williams is set to receive a lethal injection for the 1998 stabbing death of a woman in the St. Louis suburb of University City. Wil- liams’ attorneys argued on Monday that the state Supreme Court should halt his execution over alleged procedural errors in jury selection and the prosecution’s al- leged mishandling of the murder weapon. But the state’s high court rejected those arguments, and Gov. Mike Parson denied Williams’ clemency request, paving the way for his execution to proceed. In Oklahoma, Emmanuel Littlejohn is set to receive a lethal injection after being sentenced to die for his role in the 1992 shooting death of a convenience store owner during a robbery. Littlejohn has admitted to his role in the robbery, but claims he did not fire the fatal shot. The state’s Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 last month to recommend Gov. Kevin Stitt spare Littlejohn’s life, but the governor has yet to make a clemency decision. A Pause on Gambling Dry January. Sober October. You may have heard of these health initiatives that encourage people to put away the alcohol for an entire month. It’s a way to put a habit on pause and reevaluate the role it plays in your day-to-day life. A chance to try out new strategies and alternatives. An opportunity to let your mind rest. Sometimes, it’s simply a way to feel better. If gambling has taken a larger role in your life than you’re comfortable with, taking a break, even a temporary one, can help you see new paths forward. Much like a month-long pause on alcohol can help people achieve a more mindful way of drinking, cutting back or taking a pause on gambling can provide similar benefits. Finding a Way Forward Oregon Problem Gambling Resource (OPGR) can help. With online tools and resources, you’ll be able to start exploring your relationship with gambling. If you want more structured help, we can provide that too. From trained counselors to supportive communities, the way you interact is up to you. And help is always free. If you’re ready to start exploring what cutting back could look like for you, visit us online at opgr.org. Connect with us by call, chat, or text. The choices are yours.
