NJ Governor Supports death penalty moratorium during new study
/As one death row inmate moved closer to lethal injection yesterday,
acting Gov. Richard Codey endorsed a moratorium on executions until a
proposed study commission determines whether the state's death penalty
system is just, fair and worth its cost. Codey, who is also Senate
president, called for the moratorium yesterday as he stalled a Senate
vote on a bill that would have created a 13-member death penalty study
commission. Such an action could stop any executions from being carried
out for up to two years after the bill is signed. "The governor does
not think it makes sense to do a study without a moratorium," said
Kelley Heck, a spokeswoman for Codey. "So he does support a moratorium
right now, and he supports it for 18 months to two years." New Jersey
has not executed anyone in 41 years, and capital punishment is already
on hold as the Department of Corrections devises new lethal injection
rules. The death row inmate who has exhausted the most capital
punishment appeals -- convicted murderer John Martini -- lost another
round in court yesterday when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear
his case. The bill would create a commission to determine whether the
death penalty is consistent with "evolving standards of decency,"
whether it is discriminatory and whether it is worth its cost, both in
money for lawyers and the risk of executing an innocent defendant. [more]
