Opponents of the death penalty in the United States are celebrating a milestone as the country marks the 200th death row exoneree in roughly 50 years and more states continue to abolish capital punishment. Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), which advocates ending capital punishment in the USA, said in a press release this month that California prisoner Larry Roberts had become “the 200th death row exoneration since 1973.” Roberts had been on death row since 1983 after his fellow prisoners claimed he killed both a prison guard and another inmate.
In a press release, CMN Executive Director Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy said the 200 exonerations were the result of “the tireless efforts of faithful advocates and committed lawyers.” Murphy said the hundreds of exonerations are “a significant indicator of the brokenness of the death penalty,” but expressed optimism in the fact that opposition to the death penalty across the USA is trending upwards.
Exonerations, according to CMN, are cases involving former death row inmates who have, since 1973, either been acquitted of all charges related to the crime that placed them on death row or had all charges related to the crime that placed them on death row dismissed by the prosecution. It also includes prisoners who have been granted a complete pardon based on evidence of innocence.
Further details of the CMN’s press release can be found here at the Catholic News Agency website.