CT Senate passes death penalty repeal bill 20-16

Shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday, state senators voted to pass the high-profiled death penalty repeal bill 20-16.

The proposal now goes to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass easily. Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has said he would sign the legislation into law.

The legislation would not directly affect sentences of the 11 inmates on Connecticut's death row. But relatives of some crime victims are opposing the measure, saying it could be used by lawyers for those inmates as grounds for appeal.

Support for the death penalty remains high in Connecticut, where a Quinnipiac University poll last month found 62 percent of residents do not support repeal. But state lawmakers on both sides of the issue have raised concerns on what the poll is actually reflecting, and the governor has said people should follow their conscience on the issue.

In 2009, a death penalty repeal bill passed the Connecticut legislature but was vetoed by then Gov. Jodi Rell. Last year, a similar effort failed in the Senate due largely to an ongoing death penalty trial in the Cheshire home invasion.

You seem to be quick to always point out that you are an attorney. I've had one exchange with you and that was one of the first things you pointed out. So, personally, I'm very suspicious of anyone who feels the constant need to point out something that they may or may not be. We have several attorneys on FR and they very seldom use that in their conversation unless asked. It's been my experience that if someone is accomplished, they do not feel the need to point it out at every turn; even anecdotally.

Secondly, you seem to have a liberal slant which is fine but do not defend the indefensible and keeping monsters alive is indefensible. Butchering another human being and then being allowed to live in relative comfort for the remainder of the offender's life is a sin. Is a man not to pay for his sin? If they have taken a life then they are to give their’s.

A mortal sin is butchering an innocent. Making someone pay for that is justice.

As far as your stats please provide hard documentation on the figure that it costs 5x more to execute than to feed, clothe, take care of medical needs etc when the figures I have seen state that the average annual costs is $30K but that was some years ago. In CA the avg costs is around $47K. So Lets use Scott Petersen for an example. He was 30 years old when convicted in 2002 which, if the figures are correct, around $470,000 has been spent on him so far and he could theoretically live another 40 years even though he was sentenced to death so we'll add on another $1,880,000 for that time span for a grand total of $2,350,000.00 total if he lives to be 70 and you're saying that it would cost 5x more to execute him?

Secondly the penalty is unevenly applied. It does not go to the “worst of the worst”,

You are right. All murderers should be executed.

“Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord”,

Exactly, and in his everlasting covenant with Noah he commanded the execution of all murderers.

First there is the moral objection. If like me, you get your spiritual guidance from christian authority figures (in my case the Catholic bishops) you should know that they say the death penalty is as morally wrong as legal abortion.

The two are not equivalent--not even close.

Besides, bishops don't outweigh God, who established the death penalty for murderers.

As an attorney, your job is to make sure the system protects your client. But without a death penalty there is no downside to anyone to take an innocent human life. And when that is done, there is no turning back from that grievous event either.

So, the state is charged with meting out justice. And justice requires death for murderers, because they themselves took a life.

What is monstrous is this is happening in the state where the Petit family was butchered. Therefore, it will be open season on Connecticut residents.

And it is amazing that Democrats always are in favor of murdering innocent unborn infants, but cannot bear to execute a murderer.

As soon as you equate death penalty with abortion you lose all credibility and people don’t even read the rest of your post. You should have put that at the end of your post, then at least the whole thing would stand a chance of being read.

Abortion is not in the same ballpark as the death penalty. It’s not in the same league. It’s not even in the same sport.

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