Bill Would Allow Second Attempts at Federal Death Sentence

[Coastie for Truth]

If all 12 members of a jury in a capital case in federal court cannot agree on whether to impose the death penalty, a convicted defendant is automatically sentenced to life in prison.

But that may be about to change. A little-noticed provision in the House bill that reauthorized the antiterrorism law known as the USA Patriot Act would allow federal prosecutors further attempts at a death sentence if a capital jury deadlocks on the punishment. So long as at least one juror voted for death, prosecutors could empanel a new sentencing jury and argue again that execution was warranted.

The Senate bill does not contain the provision, and representatives of both chambers will soon meet to discuss the differences between the two measures and potential compromises.

Sentencing deadlocks in federal capital trials are not unusual. In a federal terrorism trial in New York in 2001, for instance, the government sought the death penalty against two operatives of Al Qaeda for their roles in the deadly bombings of two American embassies in East Africa in 1998. The jury deadlocked 9 to 3 in favor of death in both cases, interviews conducted by The New York Times later revealed.


---Long article -- read more

[OneBlueSky]

1. why are some people so enamored of the death penalty? . . .

boggles the mind that these people actually think that killing criminals (and even some who may not even be criminals) is somehow the be-all and end-all . . .

[Double T]

2. If the prosecutors don't get their desired results in the first trial....

then it will be trial and trial again till they do. What the HELL has happened to this country???

[Benhurst]

3. Typical police state tactics. Welcome to BushAmerica. NT

[soothsayer]

4. Very odd ducks, these pro-death folks

[Fovea]

5. This sinks below the Soviet Justice system

for abuse of citizen's rights.