The United Methodist Church ( 3613 Monroe St.) in conjunction with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (428 Erie St.) is offering a First Thursday luncheon series through April. The February talk, at noon on February 6th, will address “The Final Verdict: A Discussion of the Death Penalty” to be facilitated by Joe Moran. Mr. Moran worked for 30 years with the Toledo Municipal Court Probation Department and was the Chief Probation Officer before his retirement. Moran also has taught a criminal justice course at Lourdes University and he is currently the treasurer of Toledoans for Prison Awareness.
Toledoans for Prison Awareness is “a coalition of groups and individuals united by a common goal: to bring the human and institutional crisis of the prisons out of the shadows and into the foreground of policy debate, public awareness, and community ministry,” according to the organization’s website. Among the group’s ongoing initiatives: returning college education to the prisons and educating and mobilizing the public about the wide-ranging impact of drug policies and prohibition.
Recent statistics regarding the death penalty include 24 people executed across the United States. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 5 states carried out all of the executions: Texas, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Alabama, while 29 states have either abolished the death penalty or paused executions by executive action. Former President Joe Biden placed a moratorium on the federal death penalty and before leaving office commuted the death sentences of 37 death row inmates to life in prison. President Donald Trump, in a recently signed Executive Order, has recommenced executing federal death row prisoners.
According to a 2023 Gallup Poll, 53% of Americans now support the death penalty, as opposed to 1994 when 80% of Americans supported the death penalty. The poll also found that 50% of Americans now believe that the death penalty is applied unfairly, while 47% perceive the death penalty as being applied fairly.
Moran’s overview of the death penalty carries renewed relevance with the recent reinstatement of Federal executions planned by the Trump Administration. The program will “(cover) the history of the death penalty, the different methods of execution, landmark court cases, opinion polls, state, federal, and international application of the ultimate sanction and alternatives to lethal injection,” he explains.
Upcoming Presentations
The series continues in the first Thursday of each month through April. Tim Richard from the Toledo Zoo will lead the March 6 program concerning animal protection and the environment with examples of how to respect animals and nature.
Timothy Kuhlman, a former practicing attorney and now a Judge of Toledo Municipal Court, will present the April 3 talk describing recent efforts to reduce that Court’s overall jail population, with a focus on poverty issues, defendants of color, defendants with mental health problems and defendants with drug and alcohol issues.
First Thursday luncheons are sponsored by a coalition of social justice advocates. The monthly event begins with lunch at noon followed by a 30-45 minute talk and a Q&A session. The cost, including lunch, is $15, cash or check at the door. Those not purchasing lunch will pay $5. No RSVP is required.
Monroe Street United Methodist Church,
3613 Monroe Street, Toledo
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