An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.  - Gandhi
 

Abolitionist Awards

The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty presents up to three Abolitionists Awards each year honoring individuals who have demonstrated “extraordinary effort to end the death penalty in Oklahoma.”

1 – The Phil Wahl Abolitionist of the Year Award has been presented each Spring at the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Annual Membership Dinner Meeting since 1992.  Phil Wahl, (Aug. 17, 1906 – Sept. 26, 2009) a retired United Methodist Minister, served as a model of untiring work for abolishing the death penalty.  Any person is eligible who has worked diligently during the year to move us toward repealing the death penalty and discrediting it in the minds of both the public and legislature so reenactment is unlikely.

2 – The Lifetime Abolitionist Award is presented to those for a life serving to end capital punishment.

3 – The Opio Toure Courageous Advocate Award was established in 2002 to honor outstanding efforts by Defense Attorneys. The award is name after the late Oklahoma State Representative Opio Toure (March 31, 1954 – February 4, 2008). A die-hard opponent of the death penalty, Toure shepherded House Bill 2635 through the Legislature, which was a measure that sought to stop the execution of mentally disabled offenders with intelligence quotients of 70 and/or below, and received wide bipartisan support. Later, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in the case of Atkins v. State of Virginia that executing the mentally disabled was in fact cruel and unusual punishment.

Recipients:

Year
2023
2022
2021
2019
2018
Phil Wahl Award
Jasmine B-Jutras
Jabee Williams
Jimmy Lawson
Cece Jones-Davis
Anne Murray
Lifetime Abolitionist Award
Rev. T. Sheri Dickerson
Connie Johnson
Leslie Fitzhugh
James Rowan
Tom Gallagher
Opio Toure Award
Jamie Pybas
Garvin Isaacs
Emma Rolls
Dale Baich+Amanda Bass
Randy Bauman
2017 Don Heath Mary E. Sine Catherine Hammarsten
2016 No awards given No awards given No awards given
2015 Darla Shelden Nathaniel Batchelder Patti Ghezzi
2014 Becky VanPool Bob Lemon & Robyn Lemon Sellers Rep. Seneca Scott
2013 Connie Johnson Lydia Gill Polley Mark Henricksen
2012 Lydia Gill Polley Msgr Edward Weisenburger No award given
2011 No awards given No awards given No awards given
2010 No award given Father Bryan Brooks No award given
2009 Marilynn Knott Martha Holmes & Ted Fulp No award given
2008 Jim Rowan Rep. Opio Toure (posthumously) Marna Franklin & Perry Hudson
2007 No award given Mark Barrett No award given
2006 Joann Bell Margaret Cox No award given
2005 Bob Lambert Mark & Lanita Henricksen No award given
2004 Susan Sharp Rex Friend & Johnnie Carter No award given
2003 Shirley Cox Kevin Acres No award given
2002 Jim & Ann Fowler Phil Wahl Youth Award: Jessica Landry & Laura Friend
2001 Rep. Opio Toure Bill & Bea Martin No award given
2000 Tom Gallagher No award given No award given
1999 Robert Jackson & Steven Presson No award given No award given
1998 Bud Welch No award given No award given
1997 Scotty Moore No award given No award given
1996 L. Leslie Delk No award given No award given
1995 Michael Johns No award given No award given
19954 Archbishop Charles Salatka No award given No award given
1993 Allen Halley No award given No award given
1992 Sister Pat O’Keefe No award given No award given
1991 Randy Coyne No award given No award given
1990 Tim Larason & Phil Wahl No award given No award given