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arrowHome arrow Kenny Richey arrow Reprieve welcomes appeal to Governor in Kenny Richey case

Reprieve welcomes appeal to Governor in Kenny Richey case

Wednesday, 01 November 2006

 

November 2006

Human rights charity Reprieve has welcomed the news that Alistair Carmichael MP has written to the Governor of Ohio, Bob Taft, to raise the case of Kenny Richey, a Scottish man wrongfully convicted of murder in Ohio, USA. Governor Taft, who under Ohio law has the power to grant clemency, will be standing down at the end of the year, and this is seen as the final opportunity for him to intervene in this case.

 

 

Mr Richey has been on Ohio's death row for nearly 20 years despite having his sentence overturned on appeal. Since the courts have been unable to secure Mr Richey's release despite new and convincing evidence of his innocence, it is hoped that that Governor Taft will see fit to address this miscarriage of justice.

This letter is the latest step that UK politicians have taken to assist Mr Richey. In December 2003, 170 Members of Parliament signed an Early Day Motion in support of Mr Richey. In July 2004, 5 members of the House of Lords, 165 Members of Parliament, 42 Members of the Scottish Parliament and 2 Members of the European Parliament supported an Amicus Curiae brief filed by the Law Society of England and Wales.

Mr Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, has been involved in Mr Richey's case for a number of years, and in 2003 flew to Ohio to meet with Mr Richey.

Mr Carmichael said:

"Kenny Richey has never had a full and fair trail. For a man to be sentenced to death when the case against him has so many flaws would be an affront to any notion of justice.

"Governor Taft has the power to grant Kenny clemency before he leaves office at the end of the year. I am extremely keen to meet him before then so that I can make the case for Kenny to leave death row after 20years imprisonment."

Clive Stafford Smith, Legal Director of Reprieve, who have also been involved in the case, said, "Kenny's sentence is an outrage, and yet legal technicalities continue to keep this innocent man on death row. I am delighted that Mr Carmichael has requested a meeting with Governor Taft. I just hope that Governor Taft agrees to meet with him and will take action to correct this injustice."

Mr Richey has always protested his innocence and in fact turned down plea bargains that would have seen him released years ago.

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