That's the title of Bill Sizemore's report in today Virginian. LINK
With a new governor in office, Virginia appears poised to significantly expand its use of the death penalty.
Two death-penalty bills won preliminary approval by overwhelming margins Tuesday in the House of Delegates. One would make accomplices to a murder eligible for capital punishment. The other would extend the ultimate penalty to the killers of emergency personnel other than police officers.
Both measures have been passed by the General Assembly before and vetoed by former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican who took office last month, is favorably disposed toward both, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
HB502, sponsored by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock, would repeal the state's "triggerman rule," which provides that only the actual perpetrator of a capital murder is eligible for the death penalty. Gilbert's bill would make accomplices eligible as well if it is proven they had the same intent to kill as the actual murderer, or if they ordered or directed the slaying.
The measure "ensures that equally guilty defendants are treated equally under the law," Gilbert told the House. He noted that under existing Virginia law, such figures as Osama bin Laden and Charles Manson could not have been put to death.
Arguing against the bill, Del. Joseph Morrissey, D-Richmond, called it "unwarranted, unworthy and un-Christian." He said capital punishment is more costly to administer than life in prison, ineffective as a deterrent, disproportionately applied to minorities and occasionally meted out to innocent people.
During questioning from Morrissey, Gilbert acknowledged that under his bill, someone who wasn't present at the scene of a murder could be put to death for it.
The bill was approved 73-25.
The second measure, HB166, sponsored by Del. Brenda Pogge, R-Yorktown, would expand the death penalty to cover the killers of auxiliary law-enforcement officers, emergency medical services personnel, fire marshals and assistant fire marshals.
And:
Pogge's bill was approved 71-24. Pending final House passage today, both measures will go to the Senate.
Already, Virginia has executed more convicted criminals than any other state except Texas since the resumption of capital punishment in the United States in 1976.
The pace of executions has slowed in recent years. Kaine, a Democrat and death-penalty opponent, vetoed several legislative attempts to expand the state's capital punishment laws during his just-completed four-year term.
Earlier coverage from Virginia begins with this post. Related articles are in the law of parties/felony murder rule index.
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