LAST CHANCE! MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW
Dr. Tim Floyd from Mercer Law School will be the guest speaker for Politics and Lunch THIS Friday. Dr. Floyd will discuss the death penalty in Georgia. He has worked extensively with The Innocence Project, which works to free the wrongfully prosecuted through the use of DNA evidence. Make plans now to be part of this special luncheon.
We will meet at the City Club of Macon, 355 First Street, Fourth Floor, in Macon. As always, Politics and Lunch is a monthly “lunch and learn” event for all who are interested in how politics connects with public policy and quality of life in our community. There is no membership requirement and everyone is welcome to attend. We do need to know that you are coming, so RSVP to AmyMorton@aol.com OR llbenedict@bosonlawmacon.com. The cost for the luncheon, including tax and tip, is $15.00 per person. Reservation must be made by Thursday, May 29th.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Dr. Tim Floyd to Address Politics and Lunch
Friday, March 16, 2007
I Have An Issue With Rep. Kevin Levitas
I'm trying to figure out why Rep. Kevin Levitas (D) helped HB 185 make it through committee. HB 185 was introduced by Barry Fleming and sought to reduce the number of jurors required to impose the death penalty to 12 to 9. Whether or not the bill would make it through committee was questionable, but Levitas offered an amendment to change the number of jurors required to 11 of 12 rather than 9 of 12. That change cleared the path for the bill to make it out of committee and most likely to the floor of the Georgia House.
Levitas is a former prosecutor. Maybe that's why he did this. But then, nothing scores more points in politics than being "tough on crime". Democrats have to work especially hard to avoid the "squishy liberal" label. Maybe that why Levitas did it. Maybe he really believes this is the "right" thing. Maybe.
I have to wonder whether Fleming ever thought the bill would pass with the 9 of 12 provision. Sometimes going to an absolutely ridiculous extreme when proposing something controversial is simply a strategy to get the opposition to agree to a "compromise" that was really the goal in the first place. If your opposition carries the "compromise," then all the better.
I disagree with Fleming and with Levitas (and the other eight committee members who voted for this bill). If we want to impose the ultimate punishment, at the very least, ALL the jurors should agree. Most who face the death penalty in Georgia are poor, black and depend on an indigent defense system currently facing a funding crisis. DNA evidence is teaching us that wrongful convictions are, indeed, a real problem. Is this really the time to impose the 100% punishment with less than 100% agreement?
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