Richardson abolishes N.M. death penalty

[FourScore]

BREAKING NEWS: Richardson abolishes N.M. death penalty
New Mexico becomes the 15th state to ban capital punishment
By Trip Jennings 3/18/09 6:10 PM

Tonight, Gov. Bill Richardson signed his name to a law that abolishes the death penalty in New Mexico, saying, “This has been the most difficult decision of my political career.”

With his signature, Richardson made the Land of Enchantment the 15th U.S. state to ban capital punishment and pushed it into the worldwide community of states and nations that have abolished the death penalty, including many countries in the European Union.

“I do not have confidence in the criminal justice system as it currently operates to be the final arbiter when it comes to who lives and who dies for their crime,” Richardson said. “If the State is going to undertake this awesome responsibility, the system to impose this ultimate penalty must be perfect and can never be wrong.”

The news excited supporters who had been pushing for the repeal.

“This is a great day for New Mexico” said Juan Melendez, who spent 18 years on Florida’s death row before being exonerated of a murder he didn’t commit. Melendez, who lobbied lawmakers this year, lives in New Mexico now. In his case, the real killer confessed, making him the 99th person exonerated across the nation, he said...

MORE AT:
http://newmexicoindependent.com/22487/guv-abolishes-death-penalty-in-nm

[marmar]

1. Enchante!

:toast:


A society does not become better by doing the very thing it claims to hold in contempt.

[Warpy]

2. NM is a weird state

It's wild west in some ways, supremely civilized in others. The DP has been legal for decades, but there has been only one execution since 1961. Contrast that with the killing frenzy to the east in Texas and the west in Arizona.

It wasn't much of a leap to ban it outright, in other words, because this highly Catholic state has never felt particularly confident about enforcing it.

I'm just glad Richardson signed it after it passed the Lege. He interviewed people for two days before doing so, very thoughtful process.