20070307 House Republican Caucus Announces Position on Death Penalty

Maryland General Assembly House Republican Caucus

Announces Position on Death Penalty

March 7^th, 2007

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Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Shannon Oxley or Kelly Schulz

House Republican Caucus Announces Position on Death Penalty

(March 7, 2007) Today, House Minority Leader Anthony J. ODonnell announced that the House Republican Caucus has taken a formal position in opposition to the proposed repeal of the death penalty in Maryland, HB 225/SB 211.

The death penalty needs to be available when prosecuting the most heinous crimes said Delegate ODonnell (District 29C). It is the supreme punishment, and should not be entirely removed from the justice system.

It is in the best interests of Marylands citizens and public safety that capital punishment remain an option. While improvements in the administration of the death penalty and DNA evidence collection are warranted, removal of the death penalty as a sentence is injudicious and inappropriate.

Society has a right, when conditions warrant, under the narrowest of circumstances, to impose this ultimate penalty said Delegate Christopher Shank, House Minority Whip (District 2B).

House Bill 225/Senate Bill 211 would repeal Marylands death penalty statute and all provisions relating to it, and would impose a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for those convicted of murder in the first degree. The bill would also prevent the execution of those inmates currently on death row, and will provide that those inmates shall be considered to have received a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Marylands current death penalty statute was enacted in 1978. It contains stringent standards for the application of the penalty, to ensure both that the penalty is not subject to arbitrary application, and that it is applied only in the prosecution of the most egregious crimes. Since 1978, 5 persons have been executed in Maryland. There are currently 6 inmates on Marylands death row. FBI crime statistics show that between 1978 and 2005, approximately 13,354 murders have occurred in Maryland.

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