Saturday, December 18, 2004

THE SEVEN MORE SHOPPING DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS EDITION OF READER'S LAST MEALS...

Raine S. of parts unknown...
My last meal would consist of...
1. Turkey Cobb Sandwich on buttery, herbed Focaccia Bread with blue cheese and crisp pepper bacon.
2. Shu Mai and curried meat pockets (dim sum)
3. Swiss cheese fondue with Rye bread cube
4. Grilled sheese sandwhich with sharp cheddar, brie, and minced garlic on sourdough bread.
5. Lemon custard cheesecake, and creme brulee
6. 4 shots of Patron Tequila with two Marlboro Medium cigarettes

M. Prozac from parts unknown....
Dinner
Lobster with drawn butter
Broccoli
Potato with chives, sour cream and butter
A cob of corn
Fava Beans
The Head of My Executioner


Anon in the beautiful Midwest
Appetizer: Two wedges of spanikopita, two stuffed grape leaves with lemon sauce. A small Greek salad with a few kalamata olives & good sheep's milk feta cheese. Green grapes.
Main course (assortment): One fried chicken breast from Popeye's with cream gravy for dipping. Creamed spinach with lemon juice. Small bowl of jambalaya with chicken and shrimp served with Green Tabasco. Slice of turkey breast topped with sage stuffing and turkey gravy. Small dollop of sour cream mashed potatoes sprinkled with crumbled bacon.
Dessert: Small piece of tirimisu and a small piece of dense dark chocolate cake topped with a chocolate covered strawberry.
All courses to be served with a fresh tall glass of unsweetened iced tea. Many Marlboro Lights 100s between courses.


Brian J.,of Goodsoil,Saskatchewan Canada
The Menu:
two pieces of tenderloin steak
2 lobster tails
20 shrimp
a baked patato with butter and bacon bits
2 pieces of peperoni and shrimp pizza from panago
2 cans of Coke
4 crab legs
10 bread stick from pizza hut with dipping sause
some pretzelz
3 reasons
asparagas with butter and real lemon
neopolitan ice cream


Lara from Brisbane Australia
Prawn cocktails for entree, Montezumas Mole Poblano with some nice cold coke (in glass), a side helping of double bacon burgers from Hungry Jacks and for dessert, a block of Cadbury 'Snack' chocolate.

Friday, December 17, 2004

IN TEXAS, 70 PERCENT SAY THEY EXECUTED INNOCENTS, 75 PERCENT SAY KEEP 'EM COMING....

The highlights....

Poll: Texans still favor death penalty

Seven of 10 Texans believe the state has executed innocent people, but 75 percent also support continuing the death penalty
, according to the Scripps Howard Texas Poll.

The percentage of Texans who say the state has executed innocent inmates has increased 13 points since spring 2000.

But Dianne Clements, president of the victims’ advocacy group Justice for All, said she doubts innocent people have been executed. Those who believe innocent people have died is the result of a propaganda campaign by anti-death penalty groups, she said.

"It is all a theoretical idea," she said. "There is no proof."

The state perennially leads the nation in the number of executions annually and is often called the execution capital of the world.

Recent reports of crime lab snafus in Houston and the exoneration in October of former death row inmate Ernest Ray Willis may have contributed to the rising number of people who think the state executed innocent people, anti-death penalty activists say.

But even though support for the death penalty is strong, Texans are divided over a moratorium on executions so officials can study the issue. Fifty-two percent of Texans oppose a moratorium and 44 percent support the idea.

...Texas law allows for the execution of people who commit capital murder at the age of 17. So far the youngest people executed in Texas were 24 years old: Jay Pinkerton of Nueces County, executed in 1986, and Jesse De La Rosa of Bexar County, executed in 1985.

Fifty-one percent of Texans favor the law allowing for the execution of someone who committed capital murder at the age of 17, a 9-percentage point drop from February 2003.

THERE'S NOTHING AMERICANS LIKE MORE THAN TO HAVE EUROPE TELLING US WHAT TO DO....

25 nations ask state to spare Ross' life
European Union weighs in

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — The European Union has asked Connecticut’s governor and parole board to delay or halt the planned execution of serial killer Michael Ross, the Dutch government said Thursday.

The execution of the former Jewett City insurance salesman, scheduled for Jan. 26, would be the first in New England since 1960.

The Netherlands currently holds the rotating European Union presidency and issued a statement on behalf of all 25 EU member countries.

The EU, which opposes capital punishment, said in a letter to U.S. authorities that a freeze on carrying out death sentences was a “first step” toward abolition.

It asked Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a Republican, “to grant a reprieve to Mr. Ross to allow for deliberation on this complex and emotive issue.” It called on the chairman of the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles “to exercise all the powers vested in your office to grant clemency.”

Rell, on Dec. 6, announced she would not issue a reprieve after researching case law, the constitution, state statutes and details of the Ross murders.

Rell has no power to commute Ross’ death sentence. But according to the state constitution, Rell has the power to grant a reprieve that would have postponed Ross’ planned Jan. 26 execution until after the next legislative session.

“Gov. Rell took an oath of office to uphold the laws of the state of Connecticut, and that is her responsibility,” said Dennis Schain, the governor’s spokesman, when asked about the EU letter.

Given Rell’s decision against a reprieve, state lawmakers are doubtful that a bill abolishing or changing the death penalty will be approved before the Jan. 26 execution date.

Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee and someone who favors life in prison rather than the death penalty, said Rell should provide the time for the legislature to fully debate the issue.

“The involvement of the EU in this issue just underscores the fact that this is a much bigger issue than just Michael Ross,” McDonald said.

“And I think it’s a mistake to have this debate in the context of whether Michael Ross is a good person or a bad person.”

Ross admitted killing eight women in eastern Connecticut and New York in the early 1980s, and raping most of his victims. He has been in prison for 20 years — 17 on Connecticut’s death row — for four murders.

In October, Ross told Superior Court Judge Patrick Clifford that he had decided not to pursue any further appeals, and Clifford set an execution date. But the judge later ordered a hearing for Dec. 28 to determine if Ross is mentally competent to make that decision


MORE, MORE, MORE READER'S LAST MEALS...

Cuestick from parts unknown....

I would like a 14 oz ribeye 1" thick stuffed baked potatoe with lot's of butter and sour cream..yeast rolls W/butter salad with ranch dressing 24 boiled srimp in butter sauce..sweet tea & coke...and 1 dozen krispy creame donuts..


Jerry in Connecticut
Fried Halibut chunks from preferably a 40Lb or less fish, Mesquite grilled ocean scallops with lemon butter, steak fries and Heinz Ketchup with Tabasco sauce and habenero powder. Sliced beefsteak tomato with Peter Luger steak sauce. Cold Crab cocktail and 1 lb large gulf shrimp boiled in Zatarans crab boil. 2 dozen Apalachicola bay oysters chilled on ice with fresh lemon and lime slices. Ice cold cocktail sauce with lots of horseradish, 1 pack saltine crackers. 1 Gallon Hagen Daaz Vanilla ice cream microwaved for 20 seconds. 1/2 gallon sweet tea to wash it down and a dip of Copenhagen so I could spit tobacco juice at them before I told them to go to hell.


John G. from parts unknown....
1 standing rib roast cooked rare heavy on the thyme and black pepper,6 fresh baked yeast rolls., dinner sized wildfire chicken salad from bob evans, 1pint of fresh green beans simmered with bacon and onion, a dish of potatoes au gratin made from scratch, large bowl of french onion
soup extra croutons and swiss cheese on top, large serving of graeters vanilla ice cream with homemade raspberry puree, and a black forest chocolate cake. finally, 2 davidoff cigars(any size or style) to savor after i,ve ingested everything. would return from the dead just to have
this feast again!


Lisa from parts unknown....
Kolaches (poppy seed), a boiled lobster, crablegs, a cheese and fruit tray, peach pie, garlic mashed potatoes, corn on the cob.


David W. G. from parts unknown...
5 Double Deckers from Taco Bell, 20 piece buckets of chicken from KFC, 10 large curly fries from Hardees, two 2/3 lb. burgers from Hardees and One by-pass surgery.

Thursday, December 16, 2004

THE WHEELS OF JUSTICE TURNING SLOWLY IN CALIFORNIA...from the SacBee...

Some highlights...

Long appeal process stands between Peterson, execution
By Sam Stanton -- Bee Staff Writer

Scott Peterson won't get to San Quentin before late February, but he'll have plenty of time after that to learn the ropes.

Assuming the judge in his case affirms Monday's jury decision to sentence him to death, Peterson probably won't face the real prospect of execution before 2020, if then.

Lengthy appeals processes and a massive backlog of death penalty cases make the average length of stay on San Quentin's death row 16 to 17 years before an execution is carried out, officials say, compared to about 10.4 years in Texas and 11.8 years in Florida.

"As soon as somebody gets a death sentence in California, it takes at least five years before that individual is appointed an attorney to represent him or her in the next step of the process, to the California Supreme Court," state Corrections spokeswoman Margot Bach said. "And it takes anywhere from 10 to 15 years for them to hear that case."

....Darrell Keith Rich, the so-called Hilltop Rapist who terrorized the Redding area in 1978, illustrates how long it can take to carry out a sentence.

Rich was convicted on Jan. 23, 1981, and executed March 15, 2000.

"I remember one mother saying to me just how completely unfair it was that her daughter had been in the ground for 20 years and he'd been living and breathing on this earth for the entire time," said Scott, who witnessed the execution as district attorney.

Rich's experience still is not the most extreme case. Lavell Frierson was convicted of murder in Los Angeles in 1978 and sentenced to death, and has lived on California's death row longer than any other inmate.

With 641 condemned prisoners, California has the largest death row in the country, and has managed to execute only 10 inmates since resuming executions in 1992.

By contrast, Texas, which has 444 condemned prisoners and ranks second, has executed 336 inmates since resuming capital punishment in 1982. Florida, with 365 condemned prisoners, has executed 59 since 1979.

Much of the delay in California stems from the fact that the state Supreme Court must review all death cases, and that it can only deal with a handful each year, experts say.

"The reality is there are about 640 people on death row right now, and we put more on at about 35 a year," Heller said. "The Supreme Court entertains five or 10 a year."

....Meanwhile, Peterson, 32, is set to face sentencing Feb. 25, and if the judge affirms the death sentence Peterson could be taken to San Quentin that day.

But he will not go to death row immediately. Instead, he will be housed in an adjustment center for a few weeks, where officials will determine whether he is a danger to himself or other inmates.

"Everybody understands who he is, and they're going to be watching him," Bach said. "It's not like he's going to be a marked man. Most condemned inmates do not come into contact with other condemned inmates."

Once prison officials decide who Peterson can be around and remain safe from harm, he will be given a 9-by-12 cell on death row with concrete walls on three sides and bars on the fourth.

If he buys himself a television, he will be able to plug it into the prison's cable system and view news programs and educational channels such as the Discovery Channel, Bach said.

He can receive visitors, have legal visits and exercise in a barren recreation yard, and he will eat three meals a day - two hot and one sack lunch - in his cell every day.

And from certain spots in the prison, he'll be able to see the San Francisco Bay, where the bodies of Laci and Conner Peterson were dumped.

"It's ironic," Bach said. "He could be looking at the scene of the crime every day."

And from certain spots in the prison, he'll be able to see the San Francisco Bay, where the bodies of Laci and Conner Peterson were dumped.

"It's ironic," Bach said. "He could be looking at the scene of the crime every day."

But not all death row inmates last long enough to see execution. Since 1981, 25 have died of natural causes.

One was shot on the exercise yard, another was stabbed and another died after being sprayed with pepper spray.

Twelve others couldn't take it, and committed suicide.

THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS EDITON OF READER'S LAST MEALS...

Thomas R. from the 215 area code...


Slow cooked ribeye beef steak:

Cow must currently be a yearling, but killed when 15 years old.

Steak must be cut and cured at 38% for 2 years, then marinated for 1
year in worchestire sauce.

Lastly, slow cooked in the on a stove for at least 7 years (I like it
done really well).


DjT, Charleston,WV
Appetizer: Jumbo shrimp cocktail
Caesar Salad w/red onion/cumber/extra parm/extra dressing(last meal don't care about fat or calories)
Main Course: Jambalaya, 1/2 rack BBQ Ribs, Loaded bake potato, corn on the cob, cornbread & sweet iced-tea with a lime.
Dessert: Hot fudge milkshake(made with chocolate ice-cream) w/chocolate shavings & whip cream.
6 pack of Icehouse & bottle Jager!
Oh Yeah, some P**** (ed. note: not pepsi) to snack on!


Ray V. of parts unknown....

Breakfast: Pancakes with peanut butter spread on top, large glass of milk. 4 eggs (over easy) with 5 bacon strips, beans with rice and cheese. Large glass of orange juice.

Lunch: 2 double bacon cheeseburgers with a 44. oz root beer. 2 orders of large fries, 1 order or chili cheese fries, 3 chili cheese dogs. 1 large vanilla shake.

Dinner: Salisbury steak with steamed carrots, mashed potatoes with gravy, 4 white meat turkey slices with gravy. Lasagna with extra cheese, portebello chicken with selected wine. Finally, I end with chocolate cake


Daniella, Columbia, South Carolina:

Large pan cheese pizza from Pizza Hut, red velvet cake,french fries with ranch dressing, 2 liter of Sprite, wine, package of string cheese, Hershey's Cookie and Mint bar, Cheerwine, cream soda, chocolate milkshake, and probably a cheeseburger(because I haven't had a real one in so long...damn vegetarianism!)

Dave M., Detroit, MI.

my last meal would be three big macs from mcdonalds, 3 super sized fries, a jar of dill pickle relish, homeade macoroni and cheese, fried caulliflower with bleu cheese dipping sauce, a 10oz. Flank Steak with montreal steak seasoning on the side, a pulled pork sandwich with extra
barbecue sauce, and a large order of cheese fries well done from a local diner.


Tuesday, December 14, 2004

DEATH FROM AROUND THE GLOBE...
Dateline: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Prepares for Return of Execution

The highlights...

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - The country's 25-year-old executioner has no experience. The hanging ropes have rotted. The bolts on the gallows have rusted.

This island nation hasn't had an execution in 28 years. But after the murder of a prominent judge a few weeks ago, the president lifted a moratorium on capital punishment. Now, prison officials are waiting for their first hanging order.

It's not just the condemned who are worried.

"I am a sitting duck," the executioner, Suramimala Wijetunge, told The Island newspaper in an interview, terrified that media attention had made him a target for reprisal from criminal gangs. After years of collecting a salary for doing little more than occasionally helping with prison deliveries, he fears for his life and has asked for police protection.

The first execution could come any day.

Capital punishment remains on the books in Sri Lanka, and courts have continued to issue the death penalty, though no one has been executed here since 1976.

....The threat today is crime, spawned by a civil war that is now largely calmed by a 2002 cease-fire. The war has torn at the country since 1983, killed some 65,000 people and resulted in thousands of military desertions.

"Right now we have 30,000 deserters," said Rienzie Perera, the police spokesman. "This is one of the main reasons for the crime chart to rise," he said. Contract killings can be easily arranged, and weapons — from the smallest pistol to the largest machine gun — are readily available.

The final straw came Nov. 21, when High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya, known for tough verdicts against gangsters and drug dealers, was gunned down with his bodyguard. The next day, President Chandrika Kumaratunga lifted the death penalty moratorium.

Today, 49 condemned prisoners with rejected clemency appeals await execution on this island of 19 million people, and 152 others sentenced to death have pending appeals.

...In the prisons, though, the preparations are stumbling along, with officials now unable to find any hanging rope.

India and China have been approached to sell some of the specially made cord, but officials have heard nothing back.

And at the two prisons with gallows, there is no one experienced to do the job.

Wijetunge has the title of executioner in Welikada Prison, but he got the job in 2000 when his father — who never performed an execution either — retired.

But despite it all, Marzook insists he will be ready.

"When I get the order to go ahead, I will ensure that all systems are go."


The return of the Nigerian Woman...

Shariah Court Nullifies Death Penalty for Nigerian Woman


A Shariah court in the central eastern Nigerian state of Bauchi has overturned a death sentence imposed on a 29-year-old woman who gave birth after a divorce and was convicted of adultery, her lawyer said Friday.

According to local new agencies, Daso Adamu was acquitted by the Upper Sharia court in Ningi on Thursday, Dec. 10, after the judge, Yusuf Suleiman, ruled that her being pregnant was not enough evidence to warrant a sentence that she be stoned to death.

"The court faulted the lower court's judgment, saying that since Daso became pregnant within two years of her divorce it was wrong to assume the pregnancy was illegal because there is the possibility that the pregnancy was from her former husband", defense counsel Abdulkadir Suleiman said, as reported by the Lagos-based Vanguard newspaper.

"The court further argued that her trial in court was improper because she didn't present herself to court but was dragged and tried against her wish," Suleiman added.

Adamu, who was sentenced to death by stoning last July by a lower Sharia court after she gave birth to her daughter, had challenged the sentence with the help of a women's rights group, Baobab, which paid for the legal services of the defense counsel.

While pregnancy is considered sufficient evidence to convict women of adultery under Shariah law, men can only be convicted on the basis of witness statements. Sources say in all but one case, men have been cleared, as Shariah courts found there was insufficient evidence to prove they had sex with the women. Tests to determine children's paternity have not been conducted by the courts.

DEATH STATS 2004....

At this rate, this site's days are numbered....

The number of death sentences imposed in the United States and the number of executions carried out have declined sharply over the past five years, according to a report to be released today by the Death Penalty Information Center, a group that opposes capital punishment.

"By every measure, the death penalty in the U.S. has been in decline since 1999," said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Washington-based center, citing the public's concerns about innocence as a principal reason.

Five death-row inmates have been exonerated so far this year — two in Louisiana and one each in Illinois, North Carolina and Texas — for a total of 117 people set free since 1976, when the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment.

Robin Maher, director of the American Bar Association's death penalty representation project, agreed that statistics reflect the public's growing skepticism in the reliability of the death penalty and decreased confidence in fairness of the system.

"Juries are more reluctant to impose the death sentence for a variety of reasons, prime among them a parade of wrongfully convicted people leaving death row," she said.

But Charles Hobson, an attorney with the Sacramento-based Criminal Justice Legal Foundation — which favors capital punishment — said there are fewer death sentences because the violent-crime rate has gone down and people feel safer.

Hobson said that the budget crises facing most states also may have caused some district attorneys to become more selective about seeking the death penalty.

In 1999, 282 death sentences were handed down. In 2003, there were 144, the lowest total in 30 years; 2004's total is likely to be smaller still, according to Justice Department projections.

And the number of executions around the United States has dropped almost 40 percent in the past five years. In 1999 there were 98 executions, the most in the modern era of the death penalty. This year there have been 59.


THE SCOTT PETERSON'S EDITION OF READER'S LAST MEALS...(check back in 15-20 years for his).

Nick F. from Liberty MO
I'd want either 64 Oz of Robotussin or and entire gallon of skim milk.
Either way, i'm gonna barf on everybody on the way to the chamber.


Nick C., Fontana, California
The Meal:
1 medium Graziano's pizza with pepperoni, pinapple, sausage, olives and bell peppers
1 lb. of spicy buffalo wings with ranch dressing
Fried chicken from Popeye's with red beans & rice, mashed potatoes & gravy and 2 biscuits
To Drink:
If possible, a gallon of Michelob or a Margarita on the rocks
(I know alchohol is prohibited, but I can dream right?)
A 64 oz. Orange Julius
Desert:
Warm peach pia a'la mode. and 3 Camel cigarettes

-James P. from Detroit, Michigan
Breakfast
3 Eggs (over medium), 3 Pancakes served with ChoppedPineapples and Whipped Cream, 2 Pieces of French Toast, 1 Large Hash Brown, 5 Strips of Bacon, 3 Smokey Links, and a Slice of Ham. With two cups of Coffee.
Lunch
2 Coney Dogs and a large order of French Fries. Also a large glass of Coke. 5 Strips of Bacon and a cup of melted cheese on the side, to top the hot dog.
Dinner
3 Pork Chops, 5 Strips of Bacon, a full slab of Pork Baby Back Ribs, well-cooked French Fries (served underneath all of the pork so the juices seep into them), all with a large cup of applesauce.
To drink:
3 Large Glasses of Slightly Chilled Coke and 2 Cups of Coffee.


Fysh, central point, Oregon
the menu:
3 cheesy gordita crunches from taco bell, 2 bean cheese and sour cream burritos from taco bell,
2 corn dogs, tater tots with ketchup, country fried steak, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, 1 cheese cake and 6 Bawls energy drinks.'


Michael H. from parts unknown....

Full rack of baby back ribs(preferebly Hawaiin style ribs from Chris n' Pits) 3 Mountain Dews, 3 Mountain Dew Code Reds, 2 Cheesburgers with the works, chili, fried calamari, hot fudge sundae, cheese pizza, Marie Calander's Chicken Fettucini Alfredo TV dinner, and since it would be my last day on earth, Hash Brownies and a big bowl of weed, extra wraps.


Sunday, December 12, 2004

MORE KEYSTONE STATE INFO...

Pennsylvania death row inmates are executed at Rockview State Prison in Bellefonte, where the Department of Corrections maintains its two-story execution complex in a former field hospital.

_ Condemned prisoners may select a final meal from a prison-supplied checklist.

_ An unidentified team of medically qualified individuals injects the fatal cocktail containing a paralytic agent and a fast-acting barbiturate.

_ Twelve witnesses, including as many as six news reporters, observe the moment of death. Spots are reserved for The Associated Press and Radio Pennsylvania. The other six press spots are chosen at random, with at least one witness from a radio or television station that broadcasts in the county where the crime occurred and at least one from a newspaper that circulates there.

_ Afterward, prison officials release any last words the inmate has dictated to prison staff.

_ Pennsylvania has executed three people since reinstating the death penalty in 1978. All three were "volunteers" who had given up their appeals: Gary Heidnik in 1999 and Leon Moser and Keith Zettlemoyer in 1995.


THE INDIA HANGING THAT GOES ON AND ON....

Teen trips to noose death

Calcutta, Nov. 27: Dhananjoy Chatterjee’s hanging (India's first in years) continues to haunt the people of the state more than two months after his execution at Alipore central jail with a 14-year-old dying last night while enacting the incident.

Sunderlal Mondal was showing his brother and sister how the execution took place when the noose tightened around his neck. The siblings thought his struggles were part of the act and applauded as the noose strangled Sunderlal.

Realisation dawned when the boy’s father, Palan Mondal, arrived at the scene. The 14-year-old was rushed to hospital from their home in Khas Kumrakhali in the Basanti police station area, 65 km from Calcutta, but died.

Around 10.35 pm, after dinner, Sunderlal had told his younger siblings that he would enact the hanging. The children watched in rapt attention as the Class VII student of Kumrakhali Higher Secondary School picked up his mother’s saree. He tied one end to a ceiling beam and wrapped the other around his neck before standing on a small stool.

Suddenly, the teenager tripped and the saree tightened around his neck.

Official records show that this is the fifth such incident in the last three months.

A SNAPSHOT OF DINING IN THE KEYSTONE STATE

Facts about capital punishment in Pennsylvania

UNDATED Facts about the death penalty in Pennsylvania:
LAST PRISONER EXECUTED: Philadelphia torture-killer Gary Heidnik, July 6, 1999.

OTHER RECENT EXECUTIONS: Leon Moser, Aug. 16, 1995, for the shooting deaths of his wife and two daughters near Philadelphia, and Keith Zettlemoyer, May 2, 1995, for killing a friend who planned to testify against him in a criminal trial.

DEATH WARRANTS: Since taking office in January 2003, Gov. Ed Rendell has issued 26 execution warrants. Former Gov. Tom Ridge, signed 220 during his nearly seven-year tenure.

EXECUTION EVOLUTION: In 1834, Pennsylvania became first state to abolish public hangings, execution method of choice since colonial days. For decades afterward, counties hanged prisoners inside county jails. In 1913, state assumed responsibility for executions and electric chair replaced gallows. From 1915 to 1962, 350 people were electrocuted at Rockview State Prison. Method was changed to lethal injection in 1990.

THE ROW: As of Tuesday, 233 inmates awaited execution in Pennsylvania --nation's fourth-largest death row, behind California, Texas, Florida. Condemned men in Pennsylvania are held in state prisons at Greene and Graterford; women await execution at Muncy State Prison.

NATIONAL VIEW: Pennsylvania is one of 38 states with a death penalty, and one of 32 that have executed prisoners since 1976, but it ranks 24th in terms of number of actual executions. Texas, which has carried out 336 executions, is first.

WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS: Since 1986, seven men sentenced to death in Pennsylvania have been released from death row because of new evidence, including DNA, clearing them of capital crimes.

Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Corrections; Death Penalty Information Center, Washington.

NFL Sunday's Reader's Last Meals...

mark s. from parts unknown....
a twinkie 1 bottle of prune juice and a peanut


emma f. from sydney australia
no frills vanilla ice cream with mint chocolate ice magic and a strawberry flan


Kerri from College Station, Texas

2 bacon cheeseburgers from Fuddrucker’s, cheese fries from The Deluxe Café, 2 steak fajita enchiladas from Papasito’s, one of my grandmother’s lemon pies, an ice cold Vanilla Coke (in Texas, you can’t request alcohol with your last meal, but if I could: a shot of tequila, a buttery nipple, and a peach margarita).


saa03mackayhaz from the U.K.

We would like

Some octopus
A large chinese takeaway
A large indian
A 24inch Pizza extra cheese and chicken
10 KFC'S with extra fried chicken
lots of french fries with ketchup and caviar
Cheeseburger without gerkins
Champagne
4 litres irn bru
4 litres pepsi
20 bottles of sparkling peach water
1 large ice cream tub of Mackie's
A hot chocolate cake with whipped cream
Tagliatelle
Apple pie
40 small tubs of ambrosia custard


Shane "=P" Lowmaster calling in with his last meal.

I want a full course meal
Appetizer: Bread sticks from Olive Garden (None of this salad crap, give me those carbohydrate rich bread sticks!) and pasta.
Drink: Diet coke, with some cherry syrup in it. Lot's of cherry syrup.

Main meal: Shane's Special Bacon Burger ( a one pound burger, with ten (ten!) strips of apple cider cured bacon, with a side order of buttered cinnamon toast (lightly toasted), two poached eggs, AND a nice, eight ounce sirloin. Mmmmm, meat.
Drink: Vodka Icee: another one of my magnificent creations! Take a big old' freezer pop (Those things that are nothing but sugar and water, frozen) out it in a blender, add in a half bottle of vodka. Blend until it's nice and smooth. (No, I don't give a damn if they don't let you have alcohol. This is my last meal, damn it, and I want to go out only half-sober!)

Finally, desert (who wants to bet I can shove down my throat?) Lemon Meringue Pie. There is nothing better then lemon meringue.