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April 8, 2005, 9:15PM Opponents rally against 'death row express'Gathering urges Texas lawmakers to abolish capital punishmentBy JANET ELLIOTTCopyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
"Texas is a case study in everything that is wrong with capital punishment, and regardless of how frequently these flaws are noted, the idea of an innocent person being killed hasn't slowed down the state's relentless execution schedule," said Bianca Jagger, a member of Amnesty International USA's leadership council. Jagger said a report by Amnesty International said there were nearly 4,000 executions in 25 countries last year and more than 7,000 new death sentences in 64 countries. But she said that 120 countries have abolished the death penalty. Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, noted that there are 52 days left in the legislative session. The Senate refused this week to take up a bill that would give juries the option of sentencing a capital murderer to life without parole. "There's still time to get us to slow down this death row express that we have here in Texas," Ellis said. The rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol, attended by more than 100 people, was held in conjunction with Amnesty International USA's annual general meeting. Many waved small black flags representing 340 people who have been executed in Texas since 1982. At one point, they lowered the flags and observed a moment of silence for victims of violent crimes. The crowd heard emotional speeches from the sister of a mentally ill man who was executed and the wife of a shooting victim who forgave his killer before he died. Tina Duroy, the sister of James Colburn, broke down several times as she talked about her brother's history of paranoid schizophrenia. Colburn was executed in March 2003. Carol Byars of Houston said her husband lived for eight months after he was shot by a neighbor. While he was in the hospital, knowing he was going to die, he forgave his killer. "By doing this he gave me permission to heal, he gave me permission to forgive, he gave me permission to let go," Byars said. Watching the rally was Lee Greenwood, a Houston woman whose son, Joseph Nichols, has been on death row for 25 years. He was given the death penalty for being an accomplice in the shooting death of a convenience store clerk. Greenwood, a member of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, said she hopes the rally will raise awareness about "corruption and inconsistency in the judicial system."
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