[Death Penalty Signs] Vigil on Thursday 1/19

[Rich Woodward]

Julius Murphy is scheduled to be executed by the State of Texas on 
Thursday, 1/19.  If you have one of our Execution Today signs, please 
post it that day.  A vigil will be held at the corner of Texas Ave. 
and Walton, across from the main entrance to the A&M campus from 5:30-
6:00.  A detailed description of this case is pasted below.  

You can take action by contacting the Governor's comment line:  800-
843-5789, or sending messages to him through the NCADP's web site;
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?
campaign_KEY=1738

There two other executions scheduled for January, Marion Dudley  on 
1/25 and Jaime Elizalde on 1/31.  

Rich

Julius Jerome Murphy
January 19, 2006

Texas

Julius Jerome Murphy, a 27-year-old black man from Bowie County, 
Texas, is scheduled to be executed on Jan. 19, 2006 for the Sept. 19, 
1997 murder of Jason Erie, 26, in Texarkana.  After a full day of 
drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, Murphy and his friends are 
said to have seen Erie parked on the side of the road having car 
trouble.  Murphy and his friends are said to have helped Erie with 
his car.  Then Murphy is accused of having shot and robbed Erie.

There were two major problems with Murphy´s trial.  First, Murphy was 
tried by an all white jury.  The courts found no discriminatory act 
on the part of the prosecution although five of the six prospective 
jurors who were black were peremptorily struck by the prosecutor.  It 
is hard to believe that these peremptory strikes had nothing to do 
with the race of the jurors.  Second, a major factor of the 
prosecution´s case was the testimony of Murphy´s girlfriend, 
Christina Davis.  Ms. Davis admitted that she and Murphy had a 
violent and volatile relationship and that they were fighting on the 
day of the crime.  She also admitted that she was present throughout 
all of the events before, during, and after Erie´s death.  It is 
irresponsible for the court to allow an 18-year-old boy to be 
convicted based on the testimony of an admittedly hostile accomplice. 


Murphy was only 18 at the time of Erie´s death and he had no prior 
record.  He was not tried by a jury of his peers and his conviction 
was based on the testimony of an angry girlfriend who was also 
involved in any crime that may have taken place.  Clearly the death 
penalty is not appropriate in this case.
--
Richard Woodward
www:  http://TCADP-BV.org  
e-mail:   r-woodward at TCADP-BV.org