Myth:
The death penalty is applied fairly.

Fact:
In 1999, the American Bar Association, a conservative group of 400,000 lawyers, reiterated its call for a moratorium on executions because of serious concern about racial disparity in death sentences and the failure to provide adequate counsel and resources to capital defendants. In January 2000, Republican Governor George Ryan called for a moratorium on executions in the state of Illinois and in May 2002 Governor Paris Glendening did the same in Maryland. In January 2003, Governor Ryan pardoned four men and commuted the sentences of 167 death row inmates to life without parole or less because he found the death penalty process "arbitrary and capricious and therefore immoral". The men currently on New Mexico's death row could not afford to hire their own lawyers. In January 2002, Republican Governor Gary Johnson declared New Mexico's death penalty to be bad public policy because it was not applied fairly and innocent people could be executed.

Jesuit High School, Portland, OR

Myths and Facts

Myth: No innocent people are put to death.

Myth: The death penalty is applied fairly.

Myth: Capital punishment is a powerful deterrent to murder and other violent crimes.

Myth: It costs more to imprison murderers for life than to execute them.

Myth: Most countries have the death penalty.

Myth: Most religions support the death penalty.

Myth: Support for the death penalty is growing in the United States.

Myth: Death by lethal injection is completely humane and painless.

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