N.J. to vote on abolishing death penalty

[Tender Branson]

By TOM HESTER Jr., Associated Press Writer Fri Nov 9, 3:45 PM ET

TRENTON, N.J. - Lawmakers in New Jersey, which hasn't executed anyone in 44 years, will decide within two months whether to wipe the death penalty off the books, legislative leaders said Friday.

If approved by the Legislature and Gov. Jon S. Corzine, a death penalty opponent, the move would make New Jersey the first state to abolish capital punishment since the Supreme Court reinstated it in 1976.

"The time has come," Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. said after a breakfast meeting in his office with Sister Helen Prejean, the Roman Catholic nun who wrote "Dead Man Walking."

"This is such a special moment," said Prejean, whose book about serving as a spiritual adviser to death row inmates was made into an Oscar-winning movie starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. "New Jersey is going to be a beacon on the hill."

The Assembly will vote Dec. 13 on whether to reduce the state's most severe punishment to life in prison without parole, Roberts said. Jennifer Sciortino, a spokeswoman for Senate President Richard J. Codey, said he expects taking similar action before the legislative session ends Jan. 8, though a vote hasn't been set.

Corzine spokeswoman Lilo Stainton said the governor looks forward to working with the Legislature to abolish the death penalty.

Roberts, a Democrat like Corzine and Codey, called the death penalty "flawed public policy" that is costly, discriminatory, immoral and cruel.

"The consequences are irreparable if mistakes are made," he said.

A Senate committee approved abolishing the death penalty in May, but the Senate didn't give the bill further consideration. The bill stems from a January report by a special state commission that found the death penalty was a more expensive sentence than life in prison and didn't deter murder.

The proposal hasn't sat well with relatives of the victims of those on death row.

Sharon Hazard-Johnson, whose parents were killed in their Pleasantville home in 2001 by Brian Wakefield, said lawmakers should focus on streamlining the state's death penalty law. She challenged them to put the question to voters.

"The majority would say that they are for the death penalty when it fits the crime," Hazard-Johnson said.

New Jersey reinstated the death penalty in 1982 but hasn't executed anyone since 1963. The Legislature imposed an execution moratorium in December 2005 when it formed the commission that studied the death penalty.

"The New Jersey death penalty has become a paper deterrent, the epitome of false security," Roberts said.

The state has eight men on death row.

Republicans, the state's minority party, vowed to fight the proposal, recalling the May arrests of five men charged with planning to mount a terrorist attack against Fort Dix.

"We live in dangerous times," said Sen. Gerald Cardinale. "While there are problems with the way the death penalty is administered in New Jersey, abolishing it is not the solution."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071109/ap_on_re_us/death_penalty_new_jersey

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Good for NJ if this passes.

[Jake]

"New Jersey is going to be a beacon on the hill."

First for everything I suppose.

[Verily]

"We live in dangerous times," said Sen. Gerald Cardinale. "While there are problems with the way the death penalty is administered in New Jersey, abolishing it is not the solution."

Stupid Cardinale. Shouldn't he know that New Jersey hasn't executed anyone since it became legal to do so anyway?

I also really, really hate the "families of victims" who argue in favor of the death penalty; they go on and on about "closure" when all they really want is vengeance.

[Sam Spade]

"New Jersey is going to be a beacon on the hill."

First for everything I suppose.

Well, considering New Jersey may soon be passing Louisiana in overall state corruption (hard as I find that to believe), it seems only rational that it become a "beacon on the hill" in other areas as well.

[Ban my account ffs!]

How would NJ a "beacon on a hill"?  11 states have already banned the death penalty.

[DownWithTheLeft]

"New Jersey is going to be a beacon on the hill."

First for everything I suppose.

Well, considering New Jersey may soon be passing Louisiana in overall state corruption (hard as I find that to believe), it seems only rational that it become a "beacon on the hill" in other areas as well.

I can assure you NJ is much more corrupt, LA has a lot of corrupt politicians like Blanco that they vote out, we keep voting in corrupt idiots

[Verily]

How would NJ a "beacon on a hill"?  11 states have already banned the death penalty.

No states have done so since it became legal nationwide. All of the bans on the death penalty date to before the Supreme Court first ruled against the death penalty. In that sense, New Jersey might be considered first because it is reviving the debate.

[Conan]

"New Jersey is going to be a beacon on the hill."

First for everything I suppose.

Oh no we aren't the richest state in the nation and don't have the best education system.

[Gabu]

"New Jersey is going to be a beacon on the hill."

First for everything I suppose.

Oh no we aren't the richest state in the nation and don't have the best education system.

The latter kind of follows from the former, and the former isn't exactly due to any sort of policy or action on the part of any political individual or group.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

"New Jersey is going to be a beacon on the hill."

First for everything I suppose.

Oh no we aren't the richest state in the nation and don't have the best education system.

New Jersey was the richest state in the nation.  Now, it's Maryland.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

If anything, this should be a vote of the people, not the legislature - but I hope it stays on the books.

[Gabu]

If anything, this should be a vote of the people, not the legislature

Why is that, because then it'd have a better chance of not getting abolished?

[HardRCafé]

New Jersey was the richest state in the nation.  Now, it's Maryland.

I'm trying to decide how much money it would take to make me willing to live in New Jersey or Maryland.  I'm thinking there isn't enough.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

"We live in dangerous times," said Sen. Gerald Cardinale. "While there are problems with the way the death penalty is administered in New Jersey, abolishing it is not the solution."

Stupid Cardinale. Shouldn't he know that New Jersey hasn't executed anyone since it became legal to do so anyway?

I actually like that aspect of New Jersey's death penalty.  I think we should keep the death penalty around, but just not actually execute anyone.

[MODU]

As long as there are tests is the Mob, there will be prayers in school the death penalty in New Jersey.

[opebo]

As long as there are tests is the Mob, there will be prayers in school the death penalty in New Jersey.

What the devil does the Mob have to do with the death penalty?   White people support the death penalty for killing black people, not a few aging Italians.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

As long as there are tests is the Mob, there will be prayers in school the death penalty in New Jersey.

When's the last time an actual mobster was executed? What opebo said applies greatly.

[MODU]

As long as there are tests is the Mob, there will be prayers in school the death penalty in New Jersey.

When's the last time an actual mobster was executed? What opebo said applies greatly.

*sigh*  You both missed the joke.

[2952-0-0]

If anything, this should be a vote of the people, not the legislature - but I hope it stays on the books.

It's a vote by the people, through their elected representatives.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

If anything, this should be a vote of the people, not the legislature

Why is that, because then it'd have a better chance of not getting abolished?

No - I think if the people voted, it WOULD have a better chance of getting abolished - but it's still the people's right to choose something like this IMO - even if the people disagree with me.

[opebo]

*sigh*  You both missed the joke.

Oh I get it, MODU is saying that the Mob implements a 'death penalty'.  Haha.

[Gabu]

As long as there are tests is the Mob, there will be prayers in school the death penalty in New Jersey.

When's the last time an actual mobster was executed? What opebo said applies greatly.

Hint: the mobsters aren't the ones getting executed.

[Gabu]

If anything, this should be a vote of the people, not the legislature

Why is that, because then it'd have a better chance of not getting abolished?

No - I think if the people voted, it WOULD have a better chance of getting abolished - but it's still the people's right to choose something like this IMO - even if the people disagree with me.

What makes this issue different from any other?  The entire purpose we elect government representatives is to make decisions.  If every single big decision was put to the people, having a government would be rather pointless.

[Verily]

If anything, this should be a vote of the people, not the legislature

Why is that, because then it'd have a better chance of not getting abolished?

No - I think if the people voted, it WOULD have a better chance of getting abolished - but it's still the people's right to choose something like this IMO - even if the people disagree with me.

What makes this issue different from any other?  The entire purpose we elect government representatives is to make decisions.  If every single big decision was put to the people, having a government would be rather pointless.

What Gabu said. Personally, I trust government over the people on social issues; people are much more likely to be swayed by mass hysteria (as we see, for example, in the violent calls for public vengeance in death penalty trials).