Busy week in death penalty news
The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings today on a bill that would replace the state's death penalty with a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The bill is in response to a special study commission appointed by the New Jersey legislature which overwhelmingly recommended abolition of the death penalty based upon cost and lack of deterrence. [via DPIC].
On the other side of the country, a federal district court judge has halted a penalty phase of a federal capital case in Los Angeles and has told prosecutors that he believes they shoudl rethink the decision to seek the death penalty. [via DPIC]
In New York, a US attorney in Brooklyn is facing difficult questions in Senate confirmation proceedings based upon the frequency in which she has requested the death penalty. [via How Appealing]
And in Florida, executions are to resume based upon changes in execution protocols, even though the drugs used will remain the same. [via How Appealing]