FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The American Bar Association is calling on
Kentucky to suspend executions, saying there are too many errors in
the system.
The association, which helps set ethical standards for
attorneys, Wednesday released a two-year study of Kentucky's
capital punishment system. The study is part of an ABA national
program calling for a nationwide moratorium until problems are
corrected.
The ABA's Kentucky study found that more than 60 percent of
capital convictions in the state had been overturned. It also
concluded the state needs tighter regulations on the preservation
of evidence and measures to ensure the mentally disabled aren't
executed.
The ABA has also recommended suspension in Alabama, Georgia,
Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee. It has also studied Arizona, Florida
and Pennsylvania.
Kentucky executions are already on hold pending the outcome of a
case in Franklin Circuit Court.
