Making History in New Jersey

Abe Bonowitz, Field Manager for New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, just sent us this great photo of MVFHR board member Vicki Schieber testifying before New Jersey lawmakers yesterday.



Vicki was testifying before the Law and Public Safety Committee of the New Jersey Assembly, which shortly afterward held a bi-partisan vote of 5-1 to pass the death penalty repeal bill on to the full chamber. Just two hours later, also in a bi-partisan vote, the New Jersey senate PASSED the repeal bill 21-16. Vicki, whose daughter Shannon was murdered in Philadelphia in 1998, has been a leading advocate in the campaign to repeal New Jersey's death penalty.

Pictured behind VIcki are several other victims' family members holding photos of their loved ones and standing up in support of repealing the death penalty. Second from the right is Lorry Post, founder of NJADP and the new director of Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation.

The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty's blog has more photos and a write-up of yesterday's news, and the Death Penalty Information Center has issued this press release.