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Support for abolition in Kansas extends across the political spectrum
"Kansas criminal justice system is too imperfect to trust it with the death penalty"
Education is an important part of our mission
Some of the Kansans who have lost a loved one to homicide and who call for death penalty abolition
Lobby Day participant jotting notes on her legislative visits
Kansas religious leaders present a faith leader abolition letter with over 430 signatures to legislative allies.
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OUR FEATURED POSTS

The Landscape of the Kansas Death Penalty at 31–Part One

August 18, 2025

  On July 1st, the Kansas death penalty turned 31 years old. KCADP board members have encountered persons who don’t even know Kansas HAS a death penalty.  We hope this article might bring a broader awareness of where capital punishment has been/is being sought in our state. What is capital murder? Under the law, capital murder is defined as intentional premeditated murder with one or more of these factors: kidnapping or aggravated kidnapping for ransom; contract murder; murder of any person by an inmate in a correctional facility; murder of a victim of rape, criminal sodomy, or aggravated criminal sodomy […]

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Judge Klapper cites critical flaws with Kansas’ death penalty

May 5, 2025

The Kansas death penalty has been ‘on trial’ before Judge Bill Klapper in Wyandotte District Court since late October 2024. The State Board of Indigent Defense Services, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Kansas ACLU, and attorneys from Hogan Lovells, and Ali & Lockwood filed a constitutional challenge on behalf of two men who were charged with capital murder in Wyandotte County.  Their motion claimed that the Kansas capital punishment system was unconstitutional under state and federal law because it is cruel, unusual, biased and arbitrary. On April 16th Judge Klapper released his decision.  The constitutional challenge was ruled moot […]

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OUR RECENT POSTS

The Landscape of the Kansas Death Penalty at 31–Part One

  On July 1st, the Kansas death penalty turned 31 years old. KCADP board members have encountered persons who don’t even know Kansas HAS a death penalty.  We hope this article might bring a broader awareness of where capital punishment has been/is being sought in our state. What is … [ Read More... ]

Judge Klapper cites critical flaws with Kansas’ death penalty

The Kansas death penalty has been ‘on trial’ before Judge Bill Klapper in Wyandotte District Court since late October 2024. The State Board of Indigent Defense Services, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Kansas ACLU, and attorneys from Hogan Lovells, and Ali & Lockwood filed a … [ Read More... ]

2025 Death Penalty Repeal Legislation Introduced!

HB 2272, by Representatives Schreiber, Ballard, Carmichael, Osman, Sutton and Wasinger, was introduced on February 5th.  It has been referred to House Judiciary. SB 245 was introduced through Senate Judiciary Committee.  It has been referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. Both bills would end … [ Read More... ]

KCADP Nominee Slate Announced

At the annual meeting on November 16th in Lawrence, there will be election of officers and board members for terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025. Terms are two years in length unless otherwise noted. The nominees are Officers: Vice Chair:  Al Terwelp Secretary:  Willmar Harder (1 … [ Read More... ]

Kansas Death Penalty on Trial 2024

Often when people think of the death penalty, their minds go to individual cases.  That is understandable.  What cannot be forgotten however are the questions about how our law operates on a systemic scale. On Monday October 28th Judge Klapper in Wyandotte County District Court began hearing a … [ Read More... ]