Conn. Senate OKs death penalty repeal bill

Bishop Laura Ahrens, left, and Bishop Ian Douglas, right, rally at the state Capitol with religious leaders who oppose the death penalty march in favor of repealing the punishment at state level in Hartford, Conn., April 3, 2012. / AP Photo/Jessica Hill

(AP) HARTFORD, Conn. - A proposal to abolish capital punishment in Connecticut has cleared a major hurdle with approval from the state Senate.

The bill passed early today by a vote of 20-16 would make life imprisonment the maximum punishment for future cases.

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.

Senate Democrats amended the bill to mandate prison conditions that mirror those on death row for inmates convicted under the new legislation.

[AttyFAM]

Congratulations, Connecticut. You are opting for civilization over unthinking brute vengeance. Connecticut at least will be saying goodbye to those states whose lust for blood closely resembles that of China, North Korea, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Somalia - nations which still execute people as a penalty for crime. The fact that Texas has the death penalty and uses it as freely as if it were China shows that the death penalty is no deterrent at all. If it were, Texas would be murder free. (And so would China) It obviously is not.

As Darrow said in his plea for mercy in the Loeb-Leopold case, "If killing these boys would bring their victim back, I would say, yes, do it. But it will not. Nothing the state can do will bring him back."

[cheeksforus]

Like 67% of the peopled polled in CT are for the death penalty!!! CT is certainly in the top 5 states for murders per capita. Decisions like this by the elected are reasons why the larger cities in CT are all looking like Baghdad. Ct outside of maybe CA has the largest percentage of uneducated voters in the country. Trust me all you would have to do is spend one day in a class room in any of the inner city schools and you'll see the future of CT, not pretty. They keep them in the dark, in food lines and on welfare for a reason.