This is Bill Babbitt. He is holding a picture of his brother, Manny.
Bill Babbitt was present at San Quentin prison when at one minute after midnight on May 4th, 1999 the state of California executed his brother, Manny Babbitt.
Manny, the recipient of a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam, was a paranoid schizophrenic who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He had been tried and convicted for the murder of an elderly woman who had died of a heart attack after a break-in and beating.
When Bill realized that his brother could possibly be involved in the woman’s death, he contacted the police and helped them arrest his brother. In return, the police promised Bill that Manny would receive the psychological help that he needed and that they would help see that Manny would not receive the death penalty. Bill felt certain that when confronted with the reality of Manny’s mental illness, the justice system would hand down a fair sentence but avoid death. He was wrong.
Manny was sentenced to death and then executed, despite his severe mental illness and despite the promises made to Bill.
A death sentence for someone like Manny is exactly what we seek to prevent by HB 1707 and SB 5787. Bill Babbitt is travelling from California to Olympia to tell his and his brother's story. Please join us on February 14th. We need to act now, before its too late for someone else's brother.
