N.J. first state in 42 years to ban death penalty

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TRENTON, N.J. - Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed into law Monday a measure that abolishes the death penalty, making New Jersey the first state in more than four decades to reject capital punishment.

The bill, approved last week by the state's Assembly and Senate, replaces the death sentence with life in prison without parole.

"This is a day of progress for us and for the millions of people across our nation and around the globe who reject the death penalty as a moral or practical response to the grievous, even heinous, crime of murder," Corzine said.

The measure spares eight men on the state's death row. On Sunday, Corzine signed orders commuting the sentences of those eight to life in prison without parole.

Among the eight spared is Jesse Timmendequas, a sex offender who murdered 7-year-old Megan Kanka in 1994. The case inspired Megan's Law, which requires law enforcement agencies to notify the public about convicted sex offenders living in their communities.

New Jersey reinstated the death penalty in 1982 — six years after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to resume executions — but it hasn't executed anyone since 1963.

The state's move is being hailed across the world as a historic victory against capital punishment. Rome plans to shine golden light on the Colosseum in support. Once the arena for deadly gladiator combat and executions, the Colosseum is now a symbol of the fight against the death penalty.

"The rest of America, and for that matter the entire world, is watching what we are doing here today," said Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo, a Democrat. "New Jersey is setting a precedent that I'm confident other states will follow."

The bill passed the Legislature largely along party lines, with controlling Democrats supporting the abolition and minority Republicans opposed. Republicans had sought to retain the death penalty for those who murder law enforcement officials, rape and murder children, and terrorists, but Democrats rejected that.

"It's simply a specious argument to say that, somehow, after six millennia of recorded history, the punishment no longer fits the crime," said Assemblyman Joseph Malone, a Republican.

Members of victims' families fought against the law.

"I will never forget how I've been abused by a state and a governor that was supposed to protect the innocent and enforce the laws," said Marilyn Flax, whose husband Irving was abducted and murdered in 1989 by death row inmate John Martini Sr.

Iowa, West Virginia last states to abolish death penalty
The last states to eliminate the death penalty were Iowa and West Virginia in 1965, according to the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.

The nation has executed 1,099 people since the U.S. Supreme Court reauthorized the death penalty in 1976. In 1999, 98 people were executed, the most since 1976; last year 53 people were executed, the lowest since 1996.

Other states have considered abolishing the death penalty recently, but none has advanced as far as New Jersey.

The nation's last execution was Sept. 25 in Texas. Since then, executions have been delayed pending a U.S. Supreme Court decision on whether execution through lethal injection violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

 

I applaud the assemblymen and Governor of New Jersey for making a statement by abolishing this evil and heinous practice. I understand that i am in no place to speak on it as i've never lost a loved one to a murderous thug but nonetheless, two wrongs do not make a life. The very minute we lose the urge to be outraged at brutality signals the end of our claim to civilisation. Besides, the number of wrongful convictions that turn out are just outrageous and overwhelming. I'm a lawyer in Florida, the state with the highest number of wrong convictions and exonerated death row inmates so i think i have a fair knowledge. I personally don't specialize in criminal law but i have colleagues who do and trust me, the thing is conflicting with my moral standards.

Hopefully, the rest of the country will follow suit (well, except Texas where executions are as common as snow in Denver).

 

NJ is ahead of the curve, but not by much. Seems like I read actual execution rates across the country have dropped significantly in the last 5 yrs or so. Isn't the Supreme Court going to hear a case on the cruel and unusual punishment angle regarding lethal injection soon? My bet, they rule against it - that will tie the hands of many states who haven't yet abolished the death penalty outright.

 

I feel that they made a mistake. The thugs need to know that they will be punished for their acts. The black males that kill black males and others need to be stopped.

 

They even talked about that on the news here.

Well done New Jersey!

 

The death penalty being banned, I get what New Jersey has done with treating convicts more fairly since they are human, but serial murderers and repeat sexual offenders as well as pedophiles don't deserve to live, they just don't because they all severely damage and alter the lives of innocent victims and their families. They are basically at the bottom of the barrel as far as being human goes. I wouldn't use the death penalty for those who rob banks, convenience stores and innocent bystanders.

 

But the black males who kill black males arent the ones sitting on death row. The single most important factor in determining who gets the death penalty is the race of the victim. Kill a white person-go to death row. Kill a black person-go to prison.

And even then, the death penalty is not a deterent. Never has been.

 

That's too bad




( Sorry BMJ :smt019 )

 

I agree.

 

I don't mind the death penalty at all. I think people who commit murder deserve to die. I have no sympathy for violent criminals.

 

Hurray for NJ!

Death penalty is such an absurd thing, that the state try to teach the value of human life by killing it.
Everyone deserves to live, they might deserve to suffer (sex offenders, murderers, people involved in genocide.. specially the last one) but they deserve to live.

(I know I shouldn't say it, but I can't help myself: I think that its wrong to say that all pedophiles should die..
The ones that act out on their lust should off course be punished severly and be locked away for ever and ever-
But the pedophiles that doesn't harm any children (that doesn't act out in any way.).. You can't punish someone for their thoughts, they should get help so they can find a way of keep staying away from children, they should get therapy. But I can't hate them. As long as they don't actually do anything, I can't judge them on base of what goes on in their mind.. Don't missunderstand me, it is sick and wrong, but as long as it stays in the mind and doesnt affect anyone else..? )