HOUSTON, TX -- November 5 -- News Advisory: Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) will hold a rally on Friday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m., 2004, calling on Texas Governor Rick Perry to halt executions in Texas. The event will take place outside the Harris County Courthouse, 1201 Franklin St., in Houston. AIUSA will set up a wall of 280 boxes representing the 280 boxes of uncatalogued evidence recently found in the HPD crime lab.

On Oct. 12, 2004, Governor Perry said that Texans, among other things, want a government that "does a few things but does them well." That night Donald Aldrich was executed despite the fact that 280 boxes of uncatalogued evidence were recently discovered in the Houston Police Department's crime lab dating back 25 years. Aldrich is one of five individuals convicted in Harris County, Texas who have been executed in the three months since the lost evidence was discovered. There are currently four more individuals from Harris County scheduled to be executed between now and Dec. 1, 2004.

Members of AIUSA from 11 Southern states will join with local community groups to publicly call on Governor Perry to guarantee that the principles of fairness and responsibility are applied at every level and that the government works well for all Texans. http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/action/ index.asp'step=2&item=11255

SPEAKERS: Dr. William F. Schulz, executive director, Amnesty International USA; Texas State Representative Harold Dutton; Reverend Marilyn Meeker-Williams, Pastor of Bering Memorial United Methodist church; Reginald McKamie; Ami White, Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation

WHAT: Rally to Halt Executions

WHERE: Harris County Courthouse, 1201 Franklin St., in Houston

WHEN: Friday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m.(UPDATED TIME)

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS: ACLU, Dominican Sisters of Houston, Houston Global Awareness, Houston Peace and Justice Center, Pax Christi Texas, S.H.A.P.E. Community Center, Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Texas Conference Board of Church & Society (United Methodist Church), Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement

For more information on the death penalty: http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception as it is the ultimate denial of human rights, and Amnesty will continue to demand unconditionally its worldwide abolition.

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