Walk to stop in Riverside tomorrow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 20, 2007

Contact: Melissa Daar: 510-550-8170; 415-312-0222
Audrey Owens: 909-322-9213

MEDIA ADVISORY

800-Mile Walk to Stop Executions Arrives at Riverside Hall of Justice
Walkers Ask District Attorney NOT to Seek Death Penalty

WHEN:
Friday, September 21, 2007 - NOON

WHERE:Riverside Hall of Justice, 4100 Main Street,Downtown Riverside, CA

WHAT: Press conference for the 2007 Walk to Stop Executions. The Walk will stop in 15 counties along the 800-mile route and will end at the State Capitol in Sacramento on November 30th. The Walk was initiated to call attention to the death penalty and encourage district attorneys not to seek the death penalty.

WHO:
Tom Goldstein, wrongfully convicted or murder in California, served 24 years
Herman Atkins, wrongfully convicted of rape in California, served 11.5 years
Gary Windon, Riverside Public Defender

WHY:When District Attorneys pursue death sentences, the lengthy and complex legal proceedings not only perpetuate the suffering of the survivors but also focus all the attention on the accused instead of the victims. Seeking the death penalty also costs far more than seeking the alternative sentence, life without parole. While some district attorneys do not to pursue the death penalty, these counties' district attorneys do. As a result, California has the highest rate of death sentencing in the country.

To locate the walkers, please call:
Jeff Ghelardi 619-850-7470 or Richard Carlburg 714-222-2164.

For more information, please visit:http://walktostopexecutions.blogspot.com/