Q: Which states do not allow the death penalty?
—Margaret Curtis, Vinings
A: Sixteen states and the District of Columbia don't have the death penalty. They are: Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Two inmates remain on death row in New Mexico, which abolished the death penalty in 2009 but the law was not retroactive. Illinois abolished the death penalty this year.
Q: Can you tell me what happened to President Obama’s uncle who had been ordered deported twice already?
—Joyce Story, Smyrna
A: Onyango Obama, President Obama's uncle, was freed from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Sept. 8 after he was arrested and charged with drunken driving and other charges in Framingham, Mass., in late August. Onyango Obama, the half brother of the president's father, Barack Obama Sr., is from Kenya and was being held by immigration officials because he had overstayed his visa. Onyango Obama was ordered deported in 1992, but didn't leave the country, according to The Boston Globe, and has lived in the U.S. for 50 years. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in media reports that the president would not intervene and the local prosecutor said he'll pursue state charges against Onyango Obama, according to The Associated Press. He will be required to check in with immigration authorities, The AP reported.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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