New Jersey To Abolish Death Penalty

[JCMAN320]

Rome to light Colosseum when NJ bans death penalty

by The Associated Press Friday December 14, 2007, 11:54 AM

Rome will light up the Colosseum in support of the planned abolishment of the death penalty in New Jersey, a lay Roman Catholic organization said today.

http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/2007/12/large_rome.jpg
AP Photo File
On Nov. 30, 2005, the Colosseum was lit up to celebrate the fourth edition of the international day against the death penalty, in Rome.

The Sant'Egidio Community, which is at the forefront of an international anti-death penalty movement, said in a statement that the arena will be illuminated when Gov. Jon Corzine signs the legislation within a week.

New Jersey is poised to become the first U.S. state in four decades to abolish the death penalty after votes by state legislators this week.

Sant'Egidio praised New Jersey's decision, saying it is a "crucial passage" for a worldwide moratorium on capital punishment.

Rome's Colosseum, once the arena for deadly gladiator combat and executions, has become a symbol of the fight against capital punishment.

[lofter1]

Bravo, New Jersey!!!!

Governor Corzine signed into law this morning legislation which ends the Death Penalty in NJ.

Hopefully more states will follow.

Regazzi: Hit those lights over at the Colosseo ...

[kliq6]

Having seen the Coliseum illuminated at night is a awe inspiring scene. However to ban the death penalty even for Cop killers ( which this ban is the first to do) is a embarrassment Its really a symbolic ban as that state like NY doesn't have the guts to use the death penalty anyway so why even keep it on the record.

[lofter1]

Oh, come on ... aren't we more civilized than that ^ ?

Anyway, there are better ways to deal with the worst among us.

[JCMAN320]

Corzine ends death penalty in New Jersey

by Deborah Howlett/The Star-Ledger Monday December 17, 2007, 2:20 PM

http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/2007/12/large_dcorzine.JPG
Noah Addis/The Star-Ledger
Gov. Jon Corzine holds up the newly-signed bill repealing the death penalty.

With the stroke of a pen this morning, Gov. Jon Corzine made New Jersey the first state to repeal its death penalty in the modern era of capital punishment.

"Today, New Jersey is truly evolving," Corzine said. I believe society must first determine if its endorsement of violence begets violence and undermines the sanctity of life. ... I answer "Yes," and therefore I believe we must evolve to ending that endorsement."

Corzine signed a bill that had been fast-tracked through the Legislature in its end of the year "lame duck" session. In the past two weeks, the measure was heard in committee and passed out of both the Senate and the Assembly with the narrowest of majorities after impassioned floor debates.

New Jersey has not exectued anyone in 44 years. The Legislature reinstated the death penalty in 1982. Sponsors of the bill have said that the eight inmates remaining on death row will serve the rest of their lives in prison without possibility of parole.

The legislative action the past days has made New Jersey a focal point among opponents of the death penalty and garnered national media attention. Corzine's ceremonial signing of the bill in his outer office was jam-packed with network TV news and outlets from across the Northeast.

The effect of the bill signing reached far beyond New Jersey and the United States.

New Jersey's action will be recognized in Rome, when the Italian capital flushes golden light through the arches of the Colosseum for 24 hours to celebrate the abolishment. The areana, once the site of deadly gladiator combat and executions, has become a symbol of the fight against capital punishment. Since 1999, the 1st century monument has been bathed in golden light every time a death sentence is commuted.

There are now 36 states with the death penalty. There are more than 3,300 inmates on death row, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

State residents remain split on capital punishment. In a Quinnipiac University poll taken last week, voters were opposed to ending the death penalty by a margin of 53 percent to 39 percent. By nearly the same margin, they also expressed a preference for life in prison without parole for most murder convicts.

Nearly 80 percent said they support keeping the death penalty for the most violent cases.

[Bob]

Got mixed emotions on this one, folks. The libertarian in me says, "way to go." The conservative in me says, "big mistake."

I'm reminded of a particularly vicious murder in New York, in the late 1980s or early 90's; punk decides to kill his girlfriend by roping her up, putting her in a stack of tires, and lighting her on fire: an atrocity beyond belief. Somehow, the thought that the murderer would simply sit behind bars allegedly for the rest of his life doesn't sit right with me.

I'm not shedding any crocodile tears for Gary Gilmore or Timothy McVeigh, either.

[lofter1]

If you want the murderous creep to suffer as much as possible then isn't solitary existence behind bars far worse than a quick-ish death?

[ZippyTheChimp]

Innocent people have been sent to prison.
Innocent people have been on death row.
Innocent people have been executed.

[Alonzo-ny]

'An eye for an eye will leave us all blind'

And do you really think it has any effect as a deterant in the US against murder?

[kliq6]

Oh, come on ... aren't we more civilized than that ^ ?

Anyway, there are better ways to deal with the worst among us.

As a person that has had two members of my family murder brutality, I respectfully disagree.

[kliq6]

If you want the murderous creep to suffer as much as possible then isn't solitary existence behind bars far worse than a quick-ish death?

Prison is to much like a country club today and being sentenced to life really is not life anymoer, often its less the 15 years.

However I dont care to debate this situation as I know better and respect others opinions on the subject. I just feel that ll options should always be on the table for crime and punishment

[Ninjahedge]

Prison is to much like a country club today

So when are YOU going to Club Fed?


Seriously though, I really do not know where you came up withthat one, but it is priceless. Go look at the "three strikes" situation that Brokaw reported on and the overcrowding as a result and see how much FUN these guys are having!!

Ultimate irony that seems to miss most peoples eyes is taht with our current appeal system, it costs us more to litigate against the appeals of a death row inmate, and to go through with the execution, then it does to keep him on ice until he does it himself. That seems to never be brought up in discussion for some reason.

All you get is people crying for blood for what THEY believe to be inexcusable.

The PROBLEM being that some things are considered inexcusable by different people and different societies. Playing around with something like death is not a good thing!

Now, I am not in favor of letting ANY of these guys out. Regulations should be put into place making the Life Sentance something that CANNOT be paroled no matter what. As soon as they are in permanent storage, then the worry is gone. They will not, except in the movies and TV dramas, be bothering anyone anymore.

That does not mean we should treat them like dogs, or pamper them, but still....




Oh, one final note. Watching News channel 12, over 64% of the people objected to this ruling. I always thought that the crowd they were catering to was rather, to put it nicely, "fluffy suburban conservative" but just the thought of that many people wanting to kill others, for whatever reason, is sad.

[kliq6]

I dont think most people want to go out and "kill others" but most people feel, atleast i think, that having the death penalty on the books and the use of it once and awhile for truly awful murders, that some people will think twice about doing something.

Again as a person that has had two awful brutal murders to my family members, ill admit my feelings are swayed differently then others that have not had to deal with this type of event.

[MikeW]

Personally, I think that the crimes that constitute murder, homicide (mostly the same) and voluntary manslaughter, as they are defined in the various states should be federalized, and given a manditory death penelty.

I'd set up special courts that would be at a level equivalent to a subpanel of the circuit courts (bypassing the districts entirely). They would try the capital cases, and if there's a conviction, the convicts would have an appeal to the full circuit and to the supreme court and that's it.

There would be a pool of prequalified defense lawyers set up to act as coucil for the capital defendents, who would have access to sufficient resourses to insure an adequate defense.

Coming from NY there are just too many murders who dearly deserver to die allowed to live.

But as far as Jersey is concerned, it's largely irrelevent. They were never going to execute anyone anyway.

[kliq6]

NY State when we had it never used it either

[MikeW]

Not since '76. Prior to that we did.


NY State when we had it never used it either

[ZippyTheChimp]

Since 1639, 68 people were executed in what is now New York State. 34 of the 68 were executed as a result of the 1741 Slave Riot.

Since New York became a state in 1788, 29 people have been executed. 4 people have been executed since WWII, the last in 1963.

[Ninjahedge]

SO I guess that makes NY OH SO DIFFERENT than NJ.

W/O the DP 4 people would be locked up indefinitely since, the latest, 1963.

:p ;)

[arcman210]

someone clear this up for me...

I keep reading in articles NJ is the first state to abolish the death penalty... but arent there states that already dont have the death penalty?



Getting rid of the death penalty makes alot of sense... we werent using it, so throw it away... but since we werent using it, instead of throwing it away NJ should have sold it to a foreign country or another state to make some money for the horrible defecit our state has.;)

[NYatKNIGHT]

I remember when Mario Cuomo listed the countries which are responsible for the bulk of executions sanctioned by law, the United States among them of course. It is not an enviable list to be on.

So I surfed for the current stats, and found:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777460.html


According to Amnesty International, 133 countries have abolished the death penalty. During 2006 25 countries, 91% in China, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, and the United States alone, executed 1,591 people compared to 2,148 in 2005.


Death Penalty Outlawed (year) 1

Albania (2000)
Andorra (1990)
Angola (1992)
Armenia (2003)
Australia (1984)
Austria (1950)
Azerbaijan (1998)
Belgium (1996)
Bermuda (1999)
Bhutan (2004)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997)
Bulgaria (1998)
Cambodia (1989)
Canada (1976)
Cape Verde (1981)
Colombia (1910)
Costa Rica (1877)
Côte d'Ivoire (2000)
Croatia (1990)
Cyprus (1983)
Czech Republic (1990)
Denmark (1933)
Djibouti (1995)
Dominican Republic (1966)
East Timor (1999)
Ecuador (1906)
Estonia (1998)
Finland (1949)
France (1981)
Georgia (1997)
Germany (1949)
Greece (1993)
Guinea-Bissau (1993)
Haiti (1987)
Honduras (1956)
Hungary (1990)
Iceland (1928)
Ireland (1990)
Italy (1947)
Kiribati (1979)
Liberia (2005)
Liechtenstein (1987)
Lithuania (1998)
Luxembourg (1979)
Macedonia (1991)
Malta (1971)
Marshall Islands (1986)
Mauritius (1995)
Mexico (2005)
Micronesia (1986)
Moldova (1995)
Monaco (1962)
Montenegro (2002)
Mozambique (1990)
Namibia (1990)
Nepal (1990)
Netherlands (1870)
New Zealand (1961)
Nicaragua (1979)
Niue (n.a.)
Norway (1905)
Palau (n.a.)
Panama (1903)
Paraguay (1992)
Poland (1997)
Portugal (1867)
Philippines (2006)
Romania (1989)
Samoa (2004)
San Marino (1848)
São Tomé and Príncipe (1990)
Senegal (2004)
Serbia (2002)
Seychelles (1993)
Slovak Republic (1990)
Slovenia (1989)
Solomon Islands (1966)
South Africa (1995)
Spain (1978)
Sweden (1921)
Switzerland (1942)
Turkey (2002)
Turkmenistan (1999)
Tuvalu (1978)
Ukraine (1999)
United Kingdom (1973)
Uruguay (1907)
Vanuatu (1980)
Vatican City (1969)
Venezuela (1863)Death Penalty Outlawed for Ordinary Crimes 2 (year)

Argentina (1984)
Bolivia (1997)
Brazil (1979)
Chile (2001)
Cook Islands (n.a.)
El Salvador (1983)
Fiji (1979)
Israel (1954)
Latvia (1999)
Peru (1979)De Facto Ban on Death Penalty 3 (year)4

Algeria (1993)
Benin (1987)
Brunei Darussalam (1957)
Burkina Faso (1988)
Central African Republic (1981)
Congo (Republic) (1982)
Gambia (1981)
Grenada (1978)
Kenya (n.a.)
Madagascar (1958)
Maldives (1952)
Mali (1980)
Mauritania (1987)
Morocco (1993)
Myanmar (1993)
Nauru (1968)
Niger (1976)
Papua New Guinea (1950)
Russia (1999)
Sri Lanka (1976)
Suriname (1982)
Togo (n.a.)
Tonga (1982)
Tunisia (1990)Death Penalty Permitted

Afghanistan
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Botswana
Burundi
Cameroon
Chad
China (People's Republic)
Comoros
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Cuba
Dominica
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Ghana
Guatemala
Guinea
Guyana
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Libya
Malawi
Malaysia
Mongolia
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian Authority
Qatar
Rwanda
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Saudi Arabia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Somalia
Sudan
Swaziland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe1. If death penalty was outlawed for ordinary crimes before it was outlawed in all cases, the earlier date is given.

2. Death penalty is permitted only for exceptional crimes, such as crimes committed under military law or in wartime.

3. Death penalty is sanctioned by law but has not been the practice for ten or more years.

4. Year of last execution. Source: Amnesty International.

[kliq6]

someone clear this up for me...

I keep reading in articles NJ is the first state to abolish the death penalty... but arent there states that already dont have the death penalty?



Getting rid of the death penalty makes alot of sense... we werent using it, so throw it away... but since we werent using it, instead of throwing it away NJ should have sold it to a foreign country or another state to make some money for the horrible defecit our state has.;)

NJ i sthe first state to ban it even for cop killers, something not one other state has done, which makes it the first complete ban

[arcman210]

NJ i sthe first state to ban it even for cop killers, something not one other state has done, which makes it the first complete ban

Thanks for the clarification.

[NYatKNIGHT]

Murder rate in death penalty states is higher than murder rate in non-death penalty states.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=12&did=168#stateswithvwithout