For Immediate Release February 24, 2005

For More Information Contact: Diane Brown, (317) 274-7711 habrown@iupui.edu

Former Gov. Kernan, Attorneys, Northwestern Law Students to Attend IUPUI Premiere of "Countdown to an Execution"

INDIANAPOLIS - Former Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan and others on Monday (Feb. 28) will attend a special IU School of Law-Indianapolis premiere of "Countdown to an Execution," an A&E documentary about the Indiana capital case of Darnell Williams.

"Countdown to an Execution," scheduled to air March 16, captures the drama of events leading up to Kernan's decision to commute Williams' sentence to life without parole, five days before his scheduled execution.

The screening will take place at 2 p.m., Monday at IUPUI in the Wynne Courtroom of the IU School of Law building, 530 W. New York St.

After the screening, Kernan will offer his perspectives on the case and on capital punishment in general.

Following Kernan's speech, a panel discussion featuring Juliet Yackel, Williams' longtime lawyer; IU-Bloomington Law Professor Joe Hoffmann; Paula Sites of the Indiana Public Defenders Council; and law students and staff from Northwestern University's Center on Wrongful Convictions will participate in a panel discussion. IU School of Law-Indianapolis Professor and Dean Emeritus Norm Lefstein will moderate the panel discussion.

Producers of A&E's "American Justice" launched the project that would culminate in "Countdown" after learning of the last-ditch clemency effort on behalf of Williams.

The premiere is co-sponsored by the IU School of Law-Indianapolis and the Illinois Death Penalty Education Project of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law.

For additional information, call Prof. Fran Hardy at (317) 274-5551.

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