U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, released the following statement Tuesday regarding Alabama’s scheduled execution of Jeffery Lee:
“Jeffery Lee’s crimes are heinous and inexcusable. My heart remains with the families of Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson, who have endured decades of unimaginable grief. I believe Lee deserves to be held fully accountable for his actions. I am also deeply troubled by Alabama’s decision to proceed with his execution for several reasons.
“A jury of Lee’s peers sentenced him to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Despite the jury’s careful review of numerous factors, a judge overrode their recommendation—a practice that Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Legislature abolished in 2017. Today, Alabama seeks to carry out a death sentence that a jury did not impose and that current law would make illegal.
“I am also concerned by the significant and unresolved legal questions surrounding Alabama’s method of execution. Just this week, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recognized serious constitutional concerns over the use of nitrogen gas to suffocate prisoners. Courts are now considering alternative methods. Before such questions are resolved, it is difficult to justify proceeding with an irreversible punishment.
“For these reasons, I urge Ivey to commute Lee’s sentence to life without parole, consistent with the jury’s original recommendation. At a minimum, I respectfully ask Ivey to pause this scheduled execution until the pending litigation has run its course. Proceeding risks undermining public confidence in our criminal justice system and creating the appearance that Alabama is rushing a process that demands the utmost care, transparency and scrutiny.
“I recognize that reasonable people hold differing views on capital punishment. However, every Alabamian should agree that the administration of justice must be fair, deliberate and beyond reproach. Justice requires accountability. It also requires fairness. In a matter of life and death, we must ensure that both are served.”
Sewell represents Alabama’s 7th Congressional District.
