2008 Woodie Awards
Former death row inmate
leads capital punishment talk
Michael Pasaoa
Issue date: 5/7/08 Section: News
After five years on death row, Greg Wilhoit was exonerated.
"For some reason, if we cannot lethal inject you, we'll electrocute you. If the power goes out, we'll hang you, and if the rope breaks, my God, we'll take you out behind the jail and shoot you," a judge told him during his sentencing, he said.
Wilhoit was put on death row for the murder of his wife after being found guilty by a jury of his peers.
He was one of the speakers at the anti-death-penalty event Tuesday in the Student Union's Ohlone room.
Tim Cordell, a senior justice studies major, said he supports the death penalty.
"I think that death as an alternative punishment for certain criteria fits," Cordell said. "I think it's a valid punishment for valid crimes."
Other students couldn't decide.
"I don't really have an opinion on it," said Dave Panlilio, a senior pictorial arts major. "I'm in the middle."
Several students disagreed with the death penalty.
"Killing people is bad," said Trisha Vasquez, a sophomore hospitality management major, "especially when you don't know if they're guilty."
"I don't want to play God," said Anthony Tsai, a senior kinesiology major.
During the event, Wilhoit said he wanted the death sentence.
"I wasn't going to give the state of Oklahoma the satisfaction of hearing me, my family or anyone I know beg for my life," he said.
Wilhoit made the crowd laugh during his story.
"On death row you don't get out your cell under any circumstances," he joked. "Handcuffs. Handcuffs and belly chains. You've got to walk around like this. It's called the penitentiary shuffle."
During his first three years on death row, Wilhoit said he supported capital punishment until his friend on death row was executed.
"One of the gentlemen would unwittingly prove to be the catalyst in my transformation from someone who was adamantly pro-death penalty," Wilhoit said, "into an individual who feels that capital punishment is inappropriate under any circumstances."
Veronica Luna, a senior social work and sociology double major and member of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, also spoke at the event.
"There is no right way to do the wrong thing," said Luna, whose uncle is on death row.
Irene Rodriguez, a member of Families to Amend the Three Strikes Law, has a son who is serving 25 years to life for nonviolent crimes.
"We have to do what is right to correct this law," Rodriguez said.
She said the group gathered signatures to get the amendment on the ballot this year, but was not successful. The group may try again in 2010, Rodriguez said.
"As long as I have breath in my body," she said, "I will continue to fight for my son."
"For some reason, if we cannot lethal inject you, we'll electrocute you. If the power goes out, we'll hang you, and if the rope breaks, my God, we'll take you out behind the jail and shoot you," a judge told him during his sentencing, he said.
Wilhoit was put on death row for the murder of his wife after being found guilty by a jury of his peers.
He was one of the speakers at the anti-death-penalty event Tuesday in the Student Union's Ohlone room.
Tim Cordell, a senior justice studies major, said he supports the death penalty.
"I think that death as an alternative punishment for certain criteria fits," Cordell said. "I think it's a valid punishment for valid crimes."
Other students couldn't decide.
"I don't really have an opinion on it," said Dave Panlilio, a senior pictorial arts major. "I'm in the middle."
Several students disagreed with the death penalty.
"Killing people is bad," said Trisha Vasquez, a sophomore hospitality management major, "especially when you don't know if they're guilty."
"I don't want to play God," said Anthony Tsai, a senior kinesiology major.
During the event, Wilhoit said he wanted the death sentence.
"I wasn't going to give the state of Oklahoma the satisfaction of hearing me, my family or anyone I know beg for my life," he said.
Wilhoit made the crowd laugh during his story.
"On death row you don't get out your cell under any circumstances," he joked. "Handcuffs. Handcuffs and belly chains. You've got to walk around like this. It's called the penitentiary shuffle."
During his first three years on death row, Wilhoit said he supported capital punishment until his friend on death row was executed.
"One of the gentlemen would unwittingly prove to be the catalyst in my transformation from someone who was adamantly pro-death penalty," Wilhoit said, "into an individual who feels that capital punishment is inappropriate under any circumstances."
Veronica Luna, a senior social work and sociology double major and member of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, also spoke at the event.
"There is no right way to do the wrong thing," said Luna, whose uncle is on death row.
Irene Rodriguez, a member of Families to Amend the Three Strikes Law, has a son who is serving 25 years to life for nonviolent crimes.
"We have to do what is right to correct this law," Rodriguez said.
She said the group gathered signatures to get the amendment on the ballot this year, but was not successful. The group may try again in 2010, Rodriguez said.
"As long as I have breath in my body," she said, "I will continue to fight for my son."
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Dudley Sharp
posted 5/08/08 @ 7:50 AM PST
The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents
Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters, contact info below
Often, the death penalty dialogue gravitates to the subject of innocents at risk of execution. (Continued…)
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