April 13, 2012

REP. JUAN CANDELARIA HAILS VOTE TO END
DEATH PENALTY IN CT
Governor Expected To Sign Historic Legislation

State Rep. Juan Candelaria (D-New Haven) praised a House vote Wednesday in favor of legislation that would make Connecticut the 17th state in the nation to outlaw the death penalty. The bill (SB 280), approved by the Senate last week, was sent to Governor Dannel P. Malloy, who has said he would sign it into law.

Approved by an 86-62 vote, the legislation replaces the death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for capital offenses committed on or after the effective date of the act.

“I am pleased we were able to put this ineffective law behind us,” Candelaria said. “While the debate was passionate and filled with personal experiences from supporters and opponents, we managed to keep a civilized, fair and respectful dialogue.”

Rep. Candelaria also said the possibility always exists, as recent cases show, that innocent people may be executed.

Candelaria cited other reasons for supporting the abolishment of capital punishment:

• The death penalty is not a deterrent to committing murder. States such as Florida, Virginia and Texas where they have strong capital punishment laws would have a much lower crime rate if the death penalty were a deterrent.

• After all appeals have been exhausted, the death penalty ultimately ends up costing the Connecticut taxpayers more money than incarcerating the guilty with absolutely no chance of parole.

Capital punishment is morally wrong. When we execute a person even for a heinous crime, we become, in some ways, as morally corrupt as the people we execute.