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Sunday, November 2, 1997

Leader of Reform Judaism lashes out at Texas' execution record

By TERRY WALLACE / Associated Press Writer

DALLAS (AP) -- The leader of the U.S. Reform Judaism lambasted the state of Texas for its place as the nation's leader in the number of death row executions.

The criticism from Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, came in a sermon he delivered Saturday to the organization's general convention in Dallas.

The Union of American Hebrew Congregations is the synagogue arm of the Reform movement, the most liberal of the three branches of Judaism. It represents 1.5 million Reform Jews in 875 North American synagogues.

He noted that Texas has put to death almost 140 people death row inmates since it resumed executions under its current capital punishment laws. This year, 32 inmates have been executed, and more than 400 prisoners remain on death row.

"Here, as elsewhere, executions are carried out mainly against the poor, the uneducated and the pariahs of society," he said.

He recalled the cases of Texas death row prisoners who had appealed the convictions and sentences on the grounds of having ineffective counsel at trial. George McFarland, sentenced to death in 1992, alleged that his attorney slept through much of his trial.

"And then, there are the lawyers who try cases drunk, or who can't recite a single criminal statute," Yoffie said.

"Where is the justice here? We know that the death penalty is popular, with Jews no less than with everyone else. But why should George McFarland be put to death because he cannot afford O.J.'s Dream Team?" he said, referring to the trial at which O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder in the death of his wife and a waiter.

He quoted the prophet Zechariah's demand: "See that justice is done."

"We need governors who will speak out for justice -- loud, proud and unafraid. We need political leaders who care more about the next generation than the next election. And we need state officials who will be dissatisfied until the same standard of justice that applies in the outer city of wealth and comfort is applied as well to the inner city of poverty and despair," he said.

"If that is not the case, and it is not, human decency and Biblical values require that we put an end to this grisly march of legalized death," Yoffie said.

His statement came almost two weeks after the state's Catholic bishops issued a statement opposing capital punishment and calling upon the state's elected leaders to turn away from the death penalty.

Aides to Gov. George W. Bush did not return telephone calls from The Associated Press on Saturday.

However, responding to the bishops' Oct. 21 statement, Bush said, "I don't mind having the debate on the death penalty in the state of Texas. I support the death penalty and so long as we have the death penalty, I will uphold it as the governor of the state of Texas."