An Open Letter to President Clinton.

-- from Thirty Religious and Organizational Leaders --

Dear Mr. President (March 9, 2000):

We write to urge you to impose a moratorium on the use of the death penalty by the federal government. Our nation is slowly realizing the truth of capital punishment: the death penalty, as applied in America today, threatens to shed innocent blood.

Recently, Illinois Governor George Ryan suspended executions in his state and appointed a commission to investigate why more death row inmates have been freed over the last twenty-four years than have been executed. In addition, thirty-three men who currently sit on Illinois' death row have been represented by attorneys who have since been either suspended or disbarred. Governor Ryan has demonstrated leadership and courage; no more innocent men and women will be executed on his watch. While we support the Department of Justice review on racial disparity in the imposition of the federal death penalty, we hope the review's scope will be broadened. We urge you to take the next logical step and impose a moratorium at least pending the review of that study.

Senator Russell D. Feingold (Democrat--Wisconsin) has written you and Attorney General Janet Reno calling for a national moratorium on the death penalty in federal cases. The use of DNA tests has proven the innocence of death row inmates and should be routine in capital cases. Undergraduate journalism students at Northwestern University presented evidence that proved death row inmate Ronald Jones innocent of murder.

The prophet Zechariah enjoins us: "See that justice is done." It is our solemn obligation not just to promote justice but to stand up and decry injustice when we witness it. The system for administering capital punishment is profoundly flawed. Indeed, since 1976, 611 persons have been executed, but 79 persons on death row have been proven innocent and released. We are particularly concerned about the poor and minorities who have been sent to death row without an opportunity to prove their innocence by DNA testing or have been denied competent legal counsel.

In America today, there are too many death penalty cases where guilt is later cast in reasonable doubt. There are too many death penalty cases where questions remain--or even arise--after the execution has occurred. And there are too many death penalty cases where the understandable desire for punishment overshadows the impartial pursuit of justice. Until these problems are addressed, we respectfully call on you to halt all federal executions. Here, as you well know, one mistake is too many.

Stan Hastey, executive director, Alliance of Baptists 

The Rev. Dr. Daniel E. Weiss, general secretary, American Baptist Church USA

Herbert Blinder, director, Washington Ethical Action Office, American Ethical Union

Patricia Clark, national representative for criminal justice, American Friends Service Committee 

Edd Doerr, president, American Humanist Association 

Richard Foltin, legislative director and counsel, American Jewish Committee 

Matthew Dorf, director, Office on Governmental and Public Affairs, American Jewish Congress

Ken Sehested, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America 

The Rev. Dr. Richard L. Harem, general minister and president, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), USA

Senior Bishop Nathaniel Lindsey, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church 

Cary Jossart, legislative associate, Washington office, Church of the Brethren 

Ann Delorey, legislative director, Church Women United

The Rev. Michael Dodd, director, Columban Fathers Justice and Peace Office

Thomas H. Hart, director of government relations, the Episcopal Church

H. George Anderson, presiding bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

Florence Kimball, legislative education secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation 

Dr. B. L. Hooks, pastor, Greater Middle Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee

Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, ecumenical officer, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 

Avram B. Lyon, executive director, Jewish Labor Committee

Kay Bengston, assistant director, Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar, general secretary, National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA

The Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory, director, Washington office, Presbyterian Church USA

Rabbi David Saperstein, director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president, Union of American Hebrew Congregations

The Very Rev. Nathan D. Baxter, dean, Washington National Cathedral

The Rev. Meg A. Riley, director, Washington Office for Faith in Action, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

The Rev. Dr. Jay Lintner, director, Washington Office for Church in Society, United Church of Christ 

Jane Hull Harvey, assistant general secretary, General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church

Rabbi Jerome M. Epstein, executive vice-president, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 

Sarrae G. Crane, director of social action and public policy, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism