Anti-Death Penalty Group Plans Central Ohio Forum

The state's leading anti-death penalty group plans a series of forums this week to publicize the work of a Supreme Court panel that reviewed the state's capital punishment law. The panel's final report includes recommendations that proponents say could reduce the role of race in capital punishment along with disparities in death cases by county. Ohioans to Stop Executions is planning evening events Tuesday in Columbus, Wednesday in Wilmington and Thursday in Springfield. The court task force was convened by Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor and worked more than two years on the final report of 56 recommendations. Prosecutors on the panel have criticized many of the proposals as attempts to make the law all but unworkable.