she is the only woman on death row in Oklahoma
help save Brenda Andrew
Portrait of Brenda,
by Emily Davis Adams
The New York Times: Did Prosecutors' Sex Shaming Help Send Brenda Andrew to Death Row?
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The New York Times: Did Prosecutors' Sex Shaming Help Send Brenda Andrew to Death Row? ~
Brenda Andrew was condemned to die in Oklahoma County, OK after a 2004 trial in which prosecutors referred to her as a “slut puppy,” paraded her underwear before the jury, and berated her for her mothering skills. These unconstitutional tactics bore no relation to the crime Brenda had been accused of committing—the murder of her husband, Robert Andrew. So why did the prosecution do it? The offense bore few hallmarks of a capital case, and Brenda had no criminal record. But by taking every opportunity to demonize Brenda’s appearance, demeanor, sexual history, and motherhood, the prosecution stripped Brenda of her very identity as a woman and argued that her gender transgressions should be punishable by death.
The Supreme Court is now poised to hear Brenda’s last appeal. If the Supreme Court denies Brenda’s petition for a writ of certiorari, she will be at risk of receiving an execution date.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights:
“there is a serious and urgent risk of irreparable harm to Ms. Andrew’s right to life and personal integrity.”
Habeas legal scholars:
“Ms. Brenda Andrew was convicted and sentenced to death based on irrelevant evidence which served no purpose other than to sway the jury using sex-based stereotypes.”
Oklahoma Judge Arlene Johnson:
The prosecution’s arguments and testimony served “no other purpose other than to hammer home that Brenda Andrew is a bad wife, a bad mother, and a bad woman.”
Legal Momentum, Gender Justice, Lambda Legal, Transgender Law Center, and more: