By the Numbers - Dec. 7, 2015
10%
The approximate percentage of the "death row population" that are Veterans, according to a new report by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) -- Battle Scars: Military Veterans and the Death Penalty. This represents about 300 Veterans, according to the report.
The first person executed this year was Andrew Brannan, a decorated combat veteran who fought in Vietnam, but returned with PTSD. He qualified for 100 percent disability from the Veterans Administration because of his mental disabilities. In a fleeting moment of out-of-character violence, he killed a police officer who had stopped him for speeding. At his trial, Brannan’s lawyer made little mention of the mental scars from his military service and the prosecution mocked his claim of PTSD. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied him clemency. Other veterans have received their medals for dedicated service while on death row, but no real mercy.
While "PTSD is not an excuse for all criminal acts," said Richard Dieter, DPIC’s Senior Program Director and the author of the report, "it is a serious mental and emotional disorder that should be a strong mitigating factor against imposing the death penalty."
10%
The approximate percentage of the "death row population" that are Veterans, according to a new report by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) -- Battle Scars: Military Veterans and the Death Penalty. This represents about 300 Veterans, according to the report.
The first person executed this year was Andrew Brannan, a decorated combat veteran who fought in Vietnam, but returned with PTSD. He qualified for 100 percent disability from the Veterans Administration because of his mental disabilities. In a fleeting moment of out-of-character violence, he killed a police officer who had stopped him for speeding. At his trial, Brannan’s lawyer made little mention of the mental scars from his military service and the prosecution mocked his claim of PTSD. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied him clemency. Other veterans have received their medals for dedicated service while on death row, but no real mercy.
While "PTSD is not an excuse for all criminal acts," said Richard Dieter, DPIC’s Senior Program Director and the author of the report, "it is a serious mental and emotional disorder that should be a strong mitigating factor against imposing the death penalty."