Today's Hartford Courant reports, "With Death Penalty Abolished, Death Row Inmates Questioning Why They Still Face Death." It's by Alaine Griffin.
The legislative repeal of Connecticut's death penalty is reverberating through the judicial system, including in an appeal brought by a death row inmate that the state Supreme Court is expected to rule on in part this week.
A recently filed motion seeks oral arguments and permission from the Supreme Court to file briefs to "address the impact" of the new law on the appeal of convicted killer Eduardo Santiago. The court has not heard those arguments, and it's unclear what effect a decision by the court could have on the new motion.
The repeal, signed into law in April, abolishes the death penalty for future capital crimes committed in Connecticut but allows executions for those who committed capital crimes before the new law was passed.
And:
In the state's response to Santiago's motion, Senior Assistant State's Attorney Marjorie Allen Dauster did not object to the defense request. She said it is "in the state's interest to have a prompt resolution" of Santiago's claims.
"The issues raised by the defendant will need to be addressed at some point, not only in connection with this defendant's sentence, but as it relates to the sentences of other capital defendants and those awaiting trial for offenses committed before the effective date of the repeal," Dauster wrote.
Rademacher said he thinks state prosecutors would want to get the issue resolved because further delays favor the defense, enabling public defenders to keep death row inmates alive. He said he will also ask the Supreme Court to take up the issue of whether the death penalty should be applied retroactively when he files appeal briefs in July in the case of death row inmate Russell Peeler Jr.
Earlier coverage from Connecticut begins at the link.
Comments