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American Morning

Interview with Parris Glendening, Governor of Maryland

Aired May 10, 2002 - 09:07   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: On to the issue of the death penalty now, as one state suspends the death penalty, another state puts a woman to death. 54-year-old Lynda Lyon Block was executed this morning for killing a policeman.

She was the first woman to be put to death by Alabama in 45 years, and now she will probably be the last to die in the electric chair. Beginning July 1st, execution in Alabama will be by lethal injection, unless the electric chair is requested.

The Big Question at this hour: Is the death penalty racially biased? Maryland Governor Parris Glendening yesterday announced a stay of execution for Wesley Eugene Baker, who was convicted of murder in 1991. Glendening says a study is needed to determine if the death penalty is being used in a racially, discriminatory way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. PARRIS GLENDENING, (D) MARYLAND: This is a difficult decision. My heart goes out to the families of the victims of those horrible crimes. I must, however, honor the responsibility that I have to be absolutely certain of both the guilt of the criminal and the fairness and impartiality of the process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Two years ago, Illinois suspended executions after more than a dozen death row inmates were actually cleared of charges against them. And joining us this morning from Boston is Maryland's Governor, Parris Glendening -- good to see you, Governor. Thanks for being with us on AM.

GLENDENING: Good morning.

ZAHN: I know you think the statistics tell a very powerful story here, and we're going to put up on the screen a basic poll that was done of your state. And it basically shows that 80 percent of murder victims in your state are African Americans, but 60 percent of the convicts on death row murdered whites. Does that suggest to you that the inequities start even before sentencing?

GLENDENING: It certainly raises some questions, and those questions have been debated for several years in Maryland. About two years ago, we commissioned a study through the University of Maryland to try to ask exactly that question and to try to make some determination.

It's not just that issue, but just as an example, nine of the 13 people on death row all come from one jurisdiction, one county. A county, by the way, that does not have a particularly high violence rate. Suggesting even a geographic inequity.

So what we're trying to figure out is, OK, the majority of Marylanders support the death penalty; I support the death penalty in some really horrendous crimes. And most of those on death row have been found guilty of just almost unspeakable crimes.

And yet we must know before we take anyone's life that the system indeed has been fair, impartial and just. And I know Marylanders all across the state who support the death penalty are saying to me as well that just make sure we don't make a mistake or that we're doing it fairly.

ZAHN: Governor, you raise a very interesting issue about geography. And I know yesterday you even called it a lottery of geography. Does that mean a defendant's chance of getting the death penalty in your state is based on where they live?

GLENDENING: Unfortunately, that does appear to be the case. Thirteen people on death row, nine from one county. In that particular county, they seek the death penalty for every case that is eligible, regardless of any other factors or anything of that type. In other jurisdictions, the prosecutors and the committees working with the prosecutors are far more careful, selective, whatever term you want to use.

And so one of the questions I think may go before the legislature is, should we try -- if we're going to continue to use the death penalty -- to have a more uniform application of this? I do know in Illinois, where they just completed a major study, that was one of the recommendations that there should be true statewide standards.

ZAHN: Let's take a look at the statistics nationally. The majority of Americans, in fact, seeming to support the death penalty. Sixty-eight percent for, 26 percent against. Thirty-eight states have the death penalty and two-thirds of Americans actually favoring the death penalty for murder convictions.

What do you say to folks out there who think you're going soft on crime here?

GLENDENING: Well, first of all, I've sadly, in some ways, made these decisions throughout my career about the death penalty. I have reviewed the warrants and the state has executed two people under my administration. There was another one that was also a very difficult decision that I commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole because there was just a hint of uncertainty about the conviction itself.

And so for those who strongly support the death penalty, I say I agree. There are just horrible crimes that society has the right to demand the ultimate penalty. However, we must be -- both I personally as governor, but all of our citizens must be absolutely confident that we're not being discriminatory and a fair system. And candidly most of these cases have been in the court for about a year -- about 10 years.

It will take roughly one more year for this full review. I think most Marylanders would rather take the extra year, be absolutely certain about the process itself, and then proceed if there are no findings of discriminatory practices.

ZAHN: And in closing, Governor, I know you said you very much want the system to be fair. There's a "Washington Post" editorial out this morning that says the moratorium doesn't go far enough in your state, and that you can really never have, in their words, "a just and err free system."

How will you know for sure that an execution can be carried out if a fair and just way?

GLENDENING: Well I understand what the Post is saying. And obviously across the country there have been errors. There have been almost 100 people who were on death row, released after findings of other evidence.

But at this point, what we're focusing on, there appears to be two or three factors that really aren't a question of guilt or innocence. In the cases before me, even on their appeals, they have not appealed based on innocence, they've appealed for other reasons.

And so what we're just focusing on at this stage is, if something appears wrong in terms of the race of both the accused, but more importantly, the race of the victim -- because that's where the statistics really stand out, where something is wrong based on geography -- then let's make certain at least we're dealing with that issue. Now the larger issue of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the death penalty is something I think that will continue to be debated all across this country.

ZAHN: And we will be keeping an eye on your state and its actions. Governor Glendening, thanks for joining us while you are on the road up there in Boston -- appreciate your time this morning.

GLENDENING: Thank you.

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