Virginia to become the first Southern state to abolish the death penalty
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| The execution chamber at the Greenville Correctional Center in 1994. [Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch |
Virginia is poised to
ban the death penalty. Gov. Ralph Norman said Feb. 22 that he plans to sign
legislation banning capital punishment approved by both houses of the General
Assembly.
“It is vital that our
criminal justice system operates fairly and punishes people equitably. We all
know the death penalty doesn’t do that. It is inequitable, ineffective, and
inhumane,” says a joint statement issued by Northam, House Speaker Eileen
Filler-Corn (Fairfax) and Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw
(Springfield/Annandale).
“Over Virginia’s long
history, this Commonwealth has executed more people than any other state,” the
statement continues. “And, like many other states, Virginia has come too close
to executing an innocent person. It’s time we stop this machinery of death.
Twenty-two states have already
ended the death penalty. Virginia would be the first Southern state to do so. The
identical bills were sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell (Alexandria/Prince
William County) and Del. Mike Mullin (Newport News).
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Virginia has executed more people than any other state – 1,400 people since the founding of the Jamestown colony in 1608. Since
the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, Virginia executed
113 people, coming in second behind Texas.
Two people are on death
row in Virginia, WTOP reports. Anthony Juniper was sentenced to death in 2004
for killing his ex-girlfriend, two of her children, and her brother. Thomas
Porter was sentenced to die for the 2005 killing of a Norfolk police officer.
Under the new law, their sentences would be converted to life in prison without
parole.
14 responses to “Virginia to become the first Southern state to abolish the death penalty”
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Yay,
We're so enlightened !
We're so woke !
All Lives Matter, All but the law abiding citizens.
Something to be proud of, yeah right.
I think you might have misread the article. The death sentences will be changed to life without parole. So, all of these people will never see the outside of a prison again and justice without the eye-for-an-eye Old Testament-approach will be served.
Let me guess, you consider yourself pro life and vote for the party of "small government". But you still need state sanctioned executions to satisfy your blood lust.
You publish this type of thing, but not a truthful reply that isn't just insults? As bad as NextDoor – and that's saying something.
Thank you al wise and well observed commenters who decided "who i am" and "who i vote for"
Always fills my heart with warmth, to see how not prejudiced they are.
I do apologize for thinking differently than you.
maybe one day i will be smart and woke like you bigots, but until then, i rather have death penalty than to finance shitty criminals living in prison on my expense.
Here's the question. Do you think our criminal justice system is infallible?
If you do, then you need to read any of troves of research proving it's not (not to mention common sense that no human creation is infallible).
If you don't, then you're ok with the State murdering innocent citizens.
There really isn't any middle ground here.
Let's see if i follow this marvelous logic –
The justice system can make mistakes >> all death penalty conviction's are wrong (or should i use this theatrical language of "murdering innocent citizens")
by that same way, never go to the doctor, as according to stats, doctors make way more mistakes than the justice system.
Are you going to call them murderers as well?
Bottom line is simple – people has the right for different opinions without having this narrow minded mob here telling them what to think or who they vote for.
better get used to that.
What a garbage false equivalence. But good on you for being cool with killing innocent people. A few dead innocents are acceptable collateral damage to satisfy your blood lust, right?
bla bla bla "blood lust"
I'd answer, but you obviously prefer to focus on a person instead of on the matter.
Do prisoners do anything productive for society while incarcerated?
Yes, they do. Their efforts have actually been publicized, but obviously not enough for you to have noticed.
The incarcerated husband of an English friend has been making masks at the prison in Augusta for months. This without safety measures or even adequate temperature controls.
And the old dominion has used prison labor for both legal & illegal uses, some of which have also made the news since I moved to this southern state. Some have involved cleaning up the trash that "good" citizens have thrown on our highways, & some officials paid with your tax dollars & mine have forced jailed & imprisoned individuals to perform manual at their RESIDENCES.
They don't actually pick up trash anymore in Virginia.
Thst may be the official line, at least for prisons, but I wouldn't count on full compliance by those in charge of jails in some areas. That's where some of the worst abuses have been.
Troll on…