Russell Stetler papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains materials related to Russell Stetler's work regarding the death penalty, primarily related to him videotaping Robert Harris' execution in 1992 which was then submitted as evidence for the Fierro v. Gomez case, which outlawed the use of lethal gas in executions. The collection includes legal documents from the Fierro v. Gomez case, doucments about Harris' execution, and articles published in the United States and abroad about the death penalty, the use of lethal gas, the Fierro v. Gomez case, and Harris' execution. Also included are papers related to the execution of Young Elk in 2000, other documents related to death penalty advocacy work, and film.
Dates
- Creation: 1937-2017
Creator
- Stetler, Russell (Person)
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research use
Use Restrictions
Standard Federal Copyright Law Applies (U.S. Title 17)
Biographical Note
Russell Stetler was a Haverford student, Class of 1966, who was active in opposing the Vietnam War while on campus. He formed a committee devoted to raising money for medical supplies for the Viet Cong, circulated a petition, and was involved in related activities off of Haverford's campus as well. After graduation, he served as the chief investigator at the California Appellate Project in San Francisco (1990 to 1995), the Director of Investigation and Mitigation at the Capital Defender Office in New York (1995 to 2005), and was the National Mitigation Coordinator for the federal death penalty projects (2005-2020) until his retirement from full-time work.
Extent
2.1 linear ft. (5 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Spanish; Castilian
French
Abstract
This collection contains materials related to Russell Stetler's work regarding the death penalty, primarily related to him videotaping Robert Harris' execution in 1992 which was then submitted as evidence for the Fierro v. Gomez case, which outlawed the use of lethal gas in executions.
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged in five series: Fierro v. Gomez, Harris Execution, Articles, Other, and Film. The original folders have been preserved, just rearranged for a more cohesive organization. Within each series, the folders have been placed in alphabetical order and then by date when necessary.
Acquisition
Gift of Russell Stetler, July 2023
Processing Information
Processed by Maggie McCarthy, completed March 2024
Topical
- Title
- Russell Stetler papers
- Author
- Maggie McCarthy
- Date
- March, 2024
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Find It at the Library
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