Campaign to Reform Jury Selection in Capital Cases

Louisiana Catholics Committed to Repeal of Death Penalty joins Louisiana for Alternatives to the Death Penalty in a campaign to reform jury selection in death penalty cases. 

It's not very often that you can have an impact on criminal justice reform in little more than 60 seconds. You can do just that by recording your testimony for a campaign that aims to reform jury selection in death penalty cases.

The Louisiana Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty is partnering with the Louisiana Interchurch Conference, the CME Church of Northern Louisiana, the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops, Louisiana Catholics Committed to Repeal of the Death Penalty, and a host of faith leaders and congregations working to end the exclusion of people from capital juries because they will not impose the death penalty for faith-based or other moral reasons.

Unlike other criminal cases where jurors are asked to decide on a person's innocence or guilt, penalty phase deliberations in death penalty cases require jurors to use their moral judgement to decide whether a defendant should live or die. This is the single instance where our government calls on "the people" to make a moral determination on behalf of their community. But all potential jurors who do not want to impose a death sentence are cut out from the process, and their voices are never heard.

Even Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans has added his voice to this movement. You can watch the Archbishop’s statement and ou can add your voice to the Archbishop’s. 

Help the Louisiana Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty educate the public and Louisiana legislators by making your voice heard through a 30 second video and asking your contacts at school, work and church to do the same. (Find out more about the campaign and how to add your voice at www.iwanttoserve.org.)