Stan,
Thank you for sharing this. I cannot get my mind around the inhumanity, the debasement to a society that murders in the name of the law or justice. I often think about the death penalty but it’s never personal. You made it personal. I hope you don’t mind that I share this with friends.
From: StanS3112@aol.com [mailto:StanS3112@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 3:24 PM
To: alumni@triallawyerscollege.com; Jeacktiki@gmail.com; gerryspence@gerryspence.com; miltgrim@aol.com; schne287@msu.edu
Subject: Upcoming execution of Duane Buck
Today, I shook the hand of a man who I believe will soon be dead. I am shocked by the inhumanity of man and our judicial process. I represent Duane Buck who is now sentenced to be executed on September 15, 2011. This morning I went to court with the expectation that Duane and his family would be there to hear a judge read the death warrant and pronounce the sentence. The prosecutors wanted the judge to sign the death warrant and mail it to Duane. She told them if she was signing the warrant, she was going to see him and tell him to his face that she was giving him a date. The prosecutors were in a jovial mood. They tried to engage in small talk and attempted to make a number of jokes. They made light of the moment .
They admitted that Duane's case was unusual. Duane had been offered a life sentence back in 1997 before his trial but his lawyers could not talk him into accepting it. His lawyers called Dr. Walter Quiijano as a witness to state that Duane was not a high risk of re offending. But, Dr.Quiijano told the jury that Duane's race, African American could be a factor in the jury's death decision process. Duane's case is the only case where Quiijano testified that was not overturned and the only reason it wasn't is that his lawyers called him as a witness.
It has been a long time since I stood next to a man who was given a date. Duane had a smile and thanked me. Yet, I felt helpless and sad. As he left the courtroom, I hugged him and told him that the hug was from his sister and that she loved him. His family and friends left the courtroom and we prayed together for him. They prayed to give me strength and I felt more helpless and useless.