ANN Bulletin
Adventist News Network
Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters
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North America: Church Urges Safeguards Against Execution of Innocent |
March 12, 2002
Washington, D.C., USA .... [Bettina Krause/ANN]
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Seventh-day Adventist leaders in North America
are urging the federal and state governments in the United States to halt
scheduled executions in cases where the fairness of the legal process can
be called into question.
A letter sent to United States Attorney General John Ashcroft states the
church's concern for the "quality of life for all citizens." The letter, dated
February 21, calls for a moratorium on all scheduled executions in instances:
"(1) where DNA or other evidence may have made a difference but was not made
available during the trial, (2) until such evidence is made available for
said cases, (3) on all cases where the defendant's poverty or race may have
led to a poor quality defense or to a biased verdict, and (4) on all cases
where the racial composition of the jury excluded the race of the defendant."
Dr. Clarence Hodges, public affairs and religious liberty director and vice
president of the church in North America, says that "our system of justice
must do everything it can to ensure that the innocent do not receive the punishment
of the guilty.
"It is important for the church to take a stand on this issue," he adds. "The
passion for justice--for fundamental fairness--is a hallmark of our Christian
faith; it is a deep thread running throughout the teaching and ministry of
Jesus Christ."
Hodges has met and spoken extensively with Adventists involved in the church's
Prison Ministries program, who have been at the forefront of bringing this
issue to the attention of church leaders. Hodges also met with three former
death-row inmates who had served years in prison before being cleared of
the charges against them. "I was forcefully reminded of the experience of
Jesus, who was falsely accused and executed," says Hodges.
"As a moral voice in society, Adventists have a responsibility to speak out
for the innocent," he adds. In the context of the American criminal justice
system, this means urging an appropriate use of scientific advances, such
as DNA techniques, to help prevent miscarriages of justice.
It also means acknowledging growing evidence that socio-economic and racial
factors can distort the judicial process, he explains, quoting a recent comment
by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor: "A poor defendant will have
a poor defense."
Hodges affirms that the church in North America is not at this time "addressing
the appropriateness or inappropriateness of the death penalty," but he does
not rule out a broad-based review of this in the future. "There would need
to be input from a wide range of groups within the church," says Hodges,
"with opportunity for church members, theologians, Adventist academics and
lawyers, and church leaders to contribute to the discussion."
Copyright © 2002 Adventist News Network . |
Copyright © 2002 Adventist News Network .
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ANN World News Bulletin is a review of news and information
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the Communication department from the Seventh-day Adventist Church
World Headquarters and released as part of the service of Adventist
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Our news includes dispatches from the church's international offices
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ANN Staff: Ray Dabrowski, director;
Bettina Krause, news director;
Ansel Oliver, editorial assistant.
Copyright Adventist News Network 2001.
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