Paul Kaplan - Murder Stories: Ideological Narratives in Capital Punishment (Issues in Crime and Justice)

Acknowledgments

My work on capital cases began in 1996 when I was convinced by my friend Sarah Weiner to volunteer at the Center for Capital Assistance in San Francisco, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing mitigation expertise to lawyers defending persons facing death sentences or executions. In the years since, my professional life hasin one way or anotherfocused on Americas institution of state killing. Along the way, I have worked as a mitigation investigator on cases and published articles about the death penalty. This book thus represents a kind of culmination for me, an encapsulation of my career to this point. As with all books of this kind, Murder Stories is the result of many collaborations, conversations, and arguments with smart and dedicated people. Of course, everything in this book, including any errors or flaws, should be attributed exclusively to me.

First and foremost, I thank Scharlette Holdman, who introduced me to the world of capital mitigation and provided a paragon example of intelligence and dedication. My time under Scharlette was short, but her tutelage stays with me today. Next, I thank Courtney Bell, Susan Garvey, and Charlie Pizarro, the team of investigators who took me in, trained me, and became some of my closest friends. To this day, I look to these beautifully fierce persons for inspiration, laughter, and hijinks. Thanks to Peter Blair for keeping me sharp for the last twenty years. Sylvia Valenzuela gets special recognition for putting up with me. Thank you, my darling darling, for being wonderful.

I thank Val Jenness, who stepped in and saved this project from falling through the cracks when it began in graduate school. I would never have written this book were it not for Vals guidance, vision, and dedication. I would like to thank Kitty Calavita for her always incisive commentary on this work, and also for her example as a scholar. Kitty is the ultimate scholarly role model. Thanks to Simon Cole, for his perceptive commentary, intellectual inspiration, and wonderfully dry humor. I also thank Richard Leo for his early stewardship of this project and mentorship in general. Richard always thought long and hard about my work, and provided probably the best constructive criticisms I have ever been lucky enough to receive.

Thanks to my collaborator Kerry Dunn for her intellectual integrity and remarkable dedication to social justice. I would also like to thank the following scholars from around the world for their various assistances and inspirations: Bill Bowers, Jesse Cheng, John Cleary, Susan Coutin, Howie Erlanger, Ben Fleury-Steiner, David Garland, David T. Johnson, Beth Loftus, Mona Lynch, Liisa Malkii, Bill Maurer, Karl Shoemaker, Bill Thompson, Austin Sarat, Elizabeth Vartkessian, and Frank Zimring. I am especially thankful to Daniel LaChance for reading the entire manuscript of this book. His comments were exceptionally thoughtful and helpful.

I am grateful to Kate Coyne for her help with introducing me around various courthouses. Thanks to Jesse Rodriguez for his help. Thanks to all the prosecutors, defense attorneys and others who agreed to be interviewed for this project. I enthusiastically thank all of my friends in the world of capital defense, both for inspiration and for being there to answer my legal questions.

My colleagues at San Diego State University have proven to be invaluable friends, collaborators and mentors; I thank them heartily: Mounah Abdel-Samad, Salvador Espinoza, Shawn Flanigan, Stuart Henry, Larry Herzog, Alan Mobley, Dana Nurge, and Paul Sutton.

A deeply felt debt of gratitude goes to family and friends who believed in me all alongeven when I didntand who have inspired me in all kinds of ways over the years. I am deeply grateful to my immediate family: Jeff Kaplan, Barbara Kunkel (RIP), Ben Kaplan-Good, Sam Kaplan-Good, and Peri Lou Good. Thanks to the following friends for their unconditional love, support, and inspiration: Courtney Bell, Susie Bennett, Peter Blair, Dimitri Bogazianos, Michael Braun, Stone Clement, Ryan Fischer, Susan Garvey, Scott Kaminski, Glenda Kelmes, James Lingen, Christian Muro, Charlie Pizarro, Darcy Purvis, Kim Richman, Anastasia Tosouni, Michael Smyth, David Weiner, and Kyong Yi. Thanks to the basketball posse for forcing me go to my left once in a while: Mounah Abdel-Samad, Trent Biggs, Alessio Bloesch, Brian Goeltzenleuchter, Jeff Kaplan, and Dana Nurge.