New Jersey becomes first state to abolish death penalty

c. 2007 Religion News Service TRENTON, N.J. _ After more than two hours of emotional debate about justice and retribution, the New Jersey Assembly on Thursday (Dec. 13) gave final approval to a bill to abolish the state’s death penalty, sending the measure to the desk of a governor who is eager to sign it […]

c. 2007 Religion News Service

TRENTON, N.J. _ After more than two hours of emotional debate about justice and retribution, the New Jersey Assembly on Thursday (Dec. 13) gave final approval to a bill to abolish the state’s death penalty, sending the measure to the desk of a governor who is eager to sign it into law.

The lawmakers voted 44-36 to replace the state’s never-used death penalty with life in prison without parole. The Senate passed the bill Monday. Gov. Jon Corzine said he expects to sign it in a matter of days, making New Jersey the first state to repeal its capital punishment law in more than 30 years.


“It is simply not for us to decide who should live and who should die,” said Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, a Democrat.

Putting the worst criminals away without chance of parole will adequately protect society, he said.

“Murderers have not been deterred in the 2,000 years the death penalty has been in effect,” said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, a Democrat. “I don’t shed a tear for the people on death row. I think we are better as a society. We prove that we are above these murderers by abolishing the death penalty.”

But the lawmakers who opposed the bill told of the brutal murders of children, women and police officers and argued that some criminals simply deserve to die.

“There are some crimes that are just so heinous that society demands the death penalty,” said Assemblyman Sam Thompson, a Republican.

When the debate ended and the votes were cast, 41 Democrats and three Republicans voted in favor of the bill; 29 Republicans and seven Democrats voted against it.

About 80 people gathered in the gallery to watch the Assembly debate the measure. Among them was Eddie Hicks, 52, a retired Atlantic City firefighter whose daughter, Jamila, was murdered seven years ago. Her killer was sentenced to eight to 10 years in prison. Hicks is a member of New Jersey Alternatives to the Death Penalty, a group that has spent much of the past decade working to repeal the state’s death penalty law.


“In my wildest dreams, I didn’t think the effort would be worthwhile. It’s unbelievable. A lot of hard work went into this,” Hicks said.

“I do this in no means for the murderers,” said Lorry Post, 76, of Mount Laurel, whose daughter was killed by her husband 19 years ago. “I do this for society. We will be a better people for this.”

The state’s death penalty law has been on the books since 1982, six years after the U.S. Supreme Court set forth the guidelines that allowed states to execute criminal defendants, but has never been carried out.

The state Death Penalty Study Commission completed a study of all aspects of the death penalty in New Jersey in January, concluding that there is no compelling evidence that it serves a legitimate purpose, that life in prison as a penalty for the worst crimes would sufficiently protect the public and that whatever good might be served by executing a small number of guilty persons would not justify the risk of executing an innocent one.

“There are eight people on death row who are monsters. They are not going free,” Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald, a Democrat, said during the floor debate, echoing one of the commission’s findings. “The question I have to ask myself before I push the button is, `Will you let eight people live to prevent the death of one innocent?”’

_ Staff writer Deborah Howlett contributed to this report.

A photo of New Jersey legislators voting is available via https://religionnews.com.

KRE/PH END HESTER

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