History of death penalty in Tennessee to be discussed today

The history of the death penalty in Tennessee will be discussed in a lunchtime meeting today (Tuesday, May 4).

The meeting is hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. It will be virtual (online). The speaker will be University of Tennessee Lecturer Hemant Sharma.

Along with John M. Scheb, head of the Political Science Department at the University of Tennessee/Knoxville, and others, Sharma authored the 2013 study “Race and the Death Penalty: An Empirical Assessment of First Degree Murder Convictions in Tennessee after Gregg v. Georgia,” a press release said. Published in the Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender and Social Justice, the study analyzed 1,068 first-degree murder convictions in the state following the 1976 Supreme Court decision that ended the four-year court moratorium on the death penalty across the nation.

Sharma has a bachelor’s degree in English from Cornell University and a doctorate in political science from the University of Tennessee. He currently serves as a lecturer in the University of Tennessee’s Political Science Department. He has co-authored two textbooks with Department Head John Scheb and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, the press release said. He also serves as director of soccer operations for the university’s women’s soccer team.

“Lunch with the League welcomes League members and nonmembers alike to this informative presentation,” the press release said. Members will automatically receive a link to the live presentation. Nonmembers should contact [email protected] to request the link. A couple of days after the presentation, the recorded presentation may be viewed on the League’s website at https://my.lwv.org/tennessee/oak-ridge.