Last week, Attorney General Doug Peterson filed a request with the Nebraska Supreme Court to issue an execution warrant to Carey Dean Moore. They have yet to do so, in part because Mr. Moore actually has a pending request for pardon. The pardons board, which is made up of the Governor (Pete Ricketts), the Attorney General (Doug Peterson) and the Secretary of State (John Gale) usually takes about a year o morer to place inmates who have applied for a pardon on their docket. However, yesterday afternoon, a pardons board meeting was scheduled last-minute for next Tuesday - and Carey Dean Moore jumped above other applicants to be placed on the docket. Could this be a coincidence? Possibly. But it doesn’t seem very likely.
The state is doing everything they can to expedite the process and move towards an execution as soon they can. The meeting on Tuesday will be just that - a ‘meeting’ rather than a ‘hearing’ - which means it will be open to public attendance but not open to public comment. The meeting will begin at 10:00 in the Governor’s hearing room (in the northeast corner of the capitol on the second floor). If you’re in Lincoln, we welcome you to attend. More importantly, please contact each member of the pardons board to ask that a full hearing be scheduled for this request (contact information below). Whether or not this request for pardon is a good one, it ought to be given the full consideration that any other inmate receives. If the state is going to pursue an execution, they need to follow normal procedure. They shouldn’t be hurrying through any part of the process for political purposes. Office of the Governor PO Box 94848 Lincoln, NE 68509-4848 (402) 471-2244 Nebraska Attorney General’s Office PO Box 98920 Lincoln, NE 68509 (402) 471-2682 Nebraska Secretary of State's Office PO Box 94608 Lincoln, NE 68509-4608 (402) 471-2554 There are a number of factors at play, so we really don’t know what may or may not happen after the meeting - but be sure to like NADP on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates on where things will go from there. Towards Justice, -Matt Maly On Behalf of All of NADP