Rick Shaffer, who is a Democratic district attorney, resigned from Governor Perdue’s Crime Commission. His resignation is based on the Governor’s veto of the bill (SB 9) that would have effectively repealed the Racial Justice Act.
The letter is very illuminating.
Regarding whether the Racial Justice Act may allow certain death row inmates to be released from prison (which I wrote about yesterday):
I am aware that the opponents of the amendment say no one will be released from prison if they prevail because of a provision in the Statute. The District Attorneys are aware of and presented legal authority that suggests that may not be the case.
Regarding the Governor’s credibility to claim that she supports the death penalty (along with some issues regarding the law):
All the District Attorneys and supporters of the amendment wanted to do was to have defendants show that discrimination was a factor in their particular case. Statistics are only as good as the information put in the formula to analyze the data. Every case is different; the facts are different, the defendants are different and the victims are different. Your decision simply entrenches a law that ignores reality. Your decision simply gives the anti-death penalty supporters indirectly what they can not get directly which is a repeal of the death penalty. You no longer have any moral authority to suggest that you strongly support the death penalty. Your action has shown that particular statement is untrue.
This letter captures many of the problems with the Governor’s veto, the Racial Justice Act, and some of the race-baiting that is going on.
