By Lainie Singerman: A convicted murderer turned legal scholar was honored in Fairfax on March 24 for his contributions to criminal justice reform, including helping to exonerate a fellow death row inmate. The Citizen Advocate of the Year award, from Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VADP), went to Joe Giarratano, who served 37 years in prison, during which…
By Paul O’Shea: Following recent passage in the state Senate of a bill to ban the death penalty for criminal defendants with severe mental illness, northern Virginia welcomes a leading proponent of a national movement against the death penalty on March 24th. Mike Farrell, founder and president of Death Penalty Focus, will keynote the annual awards luncheon of Virginians for…