MONTGOMERY, Ala.— This evening, the State of Alabama executed James Osgood for a crime that he committed 15 years ago. Although Mr. Osgood had many years of appeals remaining in his case, he volunteered for execution to demonstrate his atonement and, in his words, to complete the sentence he received in his case—death by lethal injection. While he knows that no words or expressed remorse can repair the harm that his previous actions caused, he hopes that his decision brings the victim’s family closer to healing.
For the last decade, Mr. Osgood has been represented by Alison Mollman, ACLU of Alabama Legal Director, who gives this statement:
“When I became an attorney, I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Inherent in that solemn pledge was my personal commitment to provide effective legal representation to each of my clients, regardless of the severity of the offense or their guilt. I became James Osgood’s appellate attorney because of that oath, but I remained his attorney and close friend for over a decade because of his humanity.
Mr. Osgood was known by his loved ones as ‘Taz,’ and by his beloved sister as his childhood nickname, ‘Jimmy.’ He was short in stature but had a big personality and an even bigger sense of humor. He was self-deprecating and didn’t take himself seriously. He loved to laugh and to make others laugh. He sought to bring joy to those in his orbit and grieved when he caused harm. He made mistakes, terrible ones that he regretted until his dying day, but he didn’t make excuses for his actions. He was accountable and he was sincere. He loved with all sincerity, and the people closest to him felt that love each and every day. I know this, because I was one of those fortunate people.
Those of us who loved Taz will remember him as a man who was more than his worst actions. Like Taz, we will not make excuses for the harm he caused, but we will remember the good we saw in him. We will remember Taz the person, not James Osgood the ‘criminal.’ We will remember that actions may be evil or bad, but people are not. People are redeemable.”
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The ACLU of Alabama works to preserve and protect the civil liberties and civil rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, specifically those principles contained in the Bill of Rights. Learn more at aclualabama.org.