On April 11, 2012, the Connecticut House of Representatives officially abolished the state's death penalty by a vote of 86-62--just two days after the Connecticut Senate passed the measure. Governor Dannel P. Malloy has signed the bill, making Connecticut the seventeenth state, and the fifth in 5 years, to officially abolish capital punishment. While the bill contains a provision that inmates who would have been otherwise subject to the death penalty will face tougher prison conditions--including no visitation privileges, separate housing, and mandatory cell relocation every 90 days--the legislation doesn't impact the eleven inmates who are slated to be executed later this year. Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York have all banned capital punishment. Kansas and Kentucky currently have similar legislation pending, and the petitioning process is underway in California to place a proposition on this November's ballot.
Interestingly, the number of people executed in the US has declined from 98, back in 1999, to 43 in 2011.
Any final requests?
To view an article on Connecticut's proposed abolishment of the death penalty, please use this link: New York Times Connecticut House Votes to Repeal Death Penalty .~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Inquiries about this post may be directed to Newman Ferrara attorneys Randolph McLaughlin and Jeffrey M. Norton at 212-619-5400.