Green Party of California asks the governor to spare life of Stanley ‘Tookie' Williams at upcoming clemency hearing date

GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: Tuesday, December 6, 2005

Contacts:
Cres Vellucci, State Press Office, 916-996-1970,
Beth Moore Haines, GPCA Spokesperson, 530-277-0610,
Sara Amir (Los Angeles) 310-270-7106,
Susan King (San Francisco) 415-823-5524,

SACRAMENTO (December 6, 2005) – As the only major political party opposed to the death penalty, the Green Party of California – in a letter hand-delivered to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today – asked the state's chief executive to spare the life of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, now scheduled to be executed Dec. 13.

The GPCA, in its letter, thanked Gov. Schwarzenegger for scheduling a Dec. 8 clemency hearing to "review the death penalty case," and requested the governor consider "the importance of the life of Stanley ‘Tookie' Williams, the negative social and economic impact of the death penalty, and spare Mr. Williams' life."

"The Green Party rejects the notion of capital punishment as a viable crime deterrent, and we urge you to grant clemency in this case," said the letter, which was also e-mailed and sent by facsimile to the governor.

"The campaign to save Stan Williams is particularly urgent, and the Green Party platform is clear on this issue: the death penalty is wrong, under any circumstances," said Susan King, a GPCA spokesperson. "We know innocent people have been executed. The death penalty does not deter crime, and has disproportionately affected the poor and people-of-color."

The Greens noted that, among other issues in Mr. Williams' case, there is compelling evidence that racism was a major contributing factor to his conviction. The prosecutor was able to secure a conviction by effectively barring all African Americans from the jury.

Mr. Williams has become a leader in speaking out against gangs and violence, and written nine childrens books about the dangers of gang life which have touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people all over the world. He has developed a Protocol for Street Peace which has been used by rival gangs around the country and the world to broker gang truces. In recognition of his work, Stanley Williams has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times and has been nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature four times.

-30-

The Green Party of California
http://www.cagreens.org
P.O. Box 2828, Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: (916) 448-3437
gpca@greens.org