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Ohio
Supreme Court...
Death
Penalty Task Force to Meet for
First Time
Oct. 31, 2011
In
a cooperative effort between the
Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio State Bar Association, the Joint
Task Force
to Review the Administration of Ohio’s Death Penalty will meet for the
first
time Nov. 3.
The
group of 20 judges, prosecuting
and defense attorneys, and lawmakers will hold its first working
session from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA), 1700 Lake
Shore
Drive, in Columbus.
Chief
Justice Maureen O’Connor
announced the formation of the Joint Task Force during the annual State
of
Judiciary in September.
During
Thursday’s meeting, the task
force will conduct a thorough review of capital punishment to ensure
that
Ohio’s death penalty is administered in the most fair and judicious
manner
possible. Members will examine the death penalty process and study
current laws
on the death penalty and procedures other states across the country use.
“The
Joint Task Force will examine the
current laws on the subject and the practices in other jurisdictions.
It will
review and identify areas in need of action and recommend the course of
action,” Chief Justice O’Connor said. “The task force will not decide
whether
Ohio should or should not have the death penalty. It will not be on the
table
for discussion.”
“Our
goal is to take a careful review
of the administration of capital punishment in Ohio to ensure fairness
in its
application,” OSBA President Carol Seubert Marx said.
Once
the task force develops a
comprehensive set of recommendations over the course of several
meetings,
members will give their proposals next year to the state for
consideration.
The
Joint Task Force is chaired by the
retired Hon. James A. Brogan of the Second District Court of Appeals in
Dayton.
Other
members include:
Sara
Andrews - Ohio Department of
Rehabilitation and Correction
Joseph
T. Deters - Hamilton County
Prosecutor
Hon.
Stephen L. McIntosh - Franklin
County Common Pleas Court
Douglas
A. Berman - Ohio State
University Moritz Collage of Law
Hon.
Kathleen A. Keough - 8th
District Court of Appeals
John
P. Parker - Private practice
attorney
Phyllis
L. Crocker - Cleveland Marshal
Collage of Law
Hon.
Linda J. Jennings - Lucas
County Common Pleas Court
Samuel
H. Porter - Porter,
Wright, Morris and Arthur, LLP
Jon
Paul Rion - Rion, Rion and Rion
Co., LPA,
Sheriff
Albert J. Rodenberg - Clermont
County Sheriff’s Office
Stephen
A. Schumaker - Ohio Attorney
General’s Office
Hon.
John M. Solovan - Belmont County
Common Pleas Court
Hon.
John J. Russo - Cuyahoga County
Common Pleas Court
Dennis
Watkins - Trumbull County
Prosecutor
Sen.
Shirley A. Smith - Cleveland
Sen.
Bill Seitz - Cincinnati
Rep.
Lynn Slaby - Akron
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