The death penalty debate returns
The Senate last year rebuffed Gov. Martin O’Malley’s push for a full repeal of capital punishment but instead narrowed the circumstances under which it could be used. Prosecutors now must present a jury with DNA evidence, a videotaped confession of the killer or a video recording of the crime to seek execution.
This morning, Sen. Norman Stone (D-Baltimore County) introduced a bill reopening that debate. His measure adds fingerprint or photographic evidence to the list of evidence that, if presented to jury, could trigger the death penalty in first-degree murder cases. Stone is a member of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, which will hear the bill.
Earlier this month Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller told The Baltimore Sun he’d support such a measure, saying that leaving fingerprint and photographic evidence off the list was “a mistake that needs to be corrected.”
Comments
AMEN
Posted by: JAS | January 29, 2010 2:33 PM
I think we need a total repel. How can we talk about abortion and taking a life, but these same people are preaching the death penalty isn't that taking a life also? Let GOD decide, not man.
Posted by: andre e noel | January 29, 2010 4:22 PM
andre e noel - grow up
Posted by: EC | January 29, 2010 5:54 PM
No, EC, andre is right- the hypocrisy preached by both sides is ridiculous- either you respect life in all of its stages, or you don't. Period.
Posted by: mrsincog | January 29, 2010 8:09 PM
All this moral hand wringing when the issue is practicality.
The State can't afford to prosecute all the way through for a 1st degree penalty that will still not be applied in all but the most extreme of cases which negates entirely any claims about deterrence.
All that is left is the brutality of vengeance.
If the jails and prisons weren't cluttered with so many who should never be there we would have room for more real criminals who should be.
Posted by: MrRational | January 29, 2010 9:45 PM
go norm !
down with MoM
Posted by: John Nagahson | January 29, 2010 11:32 PM
Latent fingerprint comparison is NOT a science. It is a police 'science' which mixes real science and a fair bit of witchcraft. They have no objective science behind it. There is no objective standard. Nor would they know how to create one. The 'expert' is allowed to testify that it is a match, to the exclusion of all others based upon a gut feeling.
Posted by: Bill | January 30, 2010 6:47 AM
There is no moral equivalency between the PUNISHMENT of the death penalty and the MURDER of an innocent baby.
That is just a straw man.
Death to the murderers of any stripe.
Posted by: Voters Ignorance | February 1, 2010 9:07 AM
People are getting murdered out here in the streets and they are worried about whether the needle will go in right or the wrong person is on death row. Mr. Governor what criminal is going to take a video of his crime, how stupid! if a criminal convicted of a major felony is given the death penalty heck they stay on death row for almost twenty years on appeals. What if they is not doubt that a person did the crime do they still get twenty years of appeals to screw the system. The best way to get justice is to vote them out and make the law in favor of those who are will to follow the law and not the lawless.
Posted by: robert | February 1, 2010 6:11 PM
I hope Mr Curry does run I will vote for him. After what another former governor from PG county practically bankrupt the county and put the State in all but a financial crisis still be felt today. Mr Curry had to come in behind him and it took 4 years to clean the mess up with tight spending and budget cutting requirements. Mr. Glendening enrage the citizens so that they passed a term limitation for the Executive office. Looks like the worm has turned again and we are in the same situation again with a different player doing the same thing only this time he came from Baltimore City but originally is a product of Montgomery County.
Posted by: Robert | February 1, 2010 6:23 PM