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ANDREW GUMBEL, INDEPENDENT, UK - The Bush administration is preparing to
speed up the executions of criminals who are on death row across the
United States, in effect, cutting out several layers of appeals in the
federal courts so that prisoners can be "fast-tracked" to their deaths.
With less than 18 months to go to secure a presidential legacy,
President Bush has turned to an issue he has specialized in since
approving a record number of executions while Governor of Texas.
The US Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales - Mr Bush's top legal adviser
during the spree of executions in Texas in the 1990s - is putting
finishing touches to regulations, inspired by recent anti-terrorism
legislation, that would allow states to turn to the Justice Department,
instead of the federal courts, as a key arbiter in deciding whether
prisoners live or die. The US is already among the top six countries
worldwide in terms of the numbers of its own citizens that it puts to
death. Fifty-two Americans were executed last year and thousands await
their fate on death row.
In some instances, prisoners would have significantly less time to file
federal appeals, and the appeals courts significantly less time to
respond. On the question of whether defendants received adequate
representation at trial - a key issue in many cases, especially in
southern states with no formal public defender system - the Attorney
General would be the sole decision-maker.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2864190.ece
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ANDREW GUMBEL, INDEPENDENT, UK - The Bush administration is preparing to
speed up the executions of criminals who are on death row across the
United States, in effect, cutting out several layers of appeals in the
federal courts so that prisoners can be "fast-tracked" to their deaths.
With less than 18 months to go to secure a presidential legacy,
President Bush has turned to an issue he has specialized in since
approving a record number of executions while Governor of Texas.
The US Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales - Mr Bush's top legal adviser
during the spree of executions in Texas in the 1990s - is putting
finishing touches to regulations, inspired by recent anti-terrorism
legislation, that would allow states to turn to the Justice Department,
instead of the federal courts, as a key arbiter in deciding whether
prisoners live or die. The US is already among the top six countries
worldwide in terms of the numbers of its own citizens that it puts to
death. Fifty-two Americans were executed last year and thousands await
their fate on death row.
In some instances, prisoners would have significantly less time to file
federal appeals, and the appeals courts significantly less time to
respond. On the question of whether defendants received adequate
representation at trial - a key issue in many cases, especially in
southern states with no formal public defender system - the Attorney
General would be the sole decision-maker.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2864190.ece
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