BOSTON -- Gov. Mitt Romney is pushing to bring back capital punishment to Massachusetts Monday.
NewsCenter 5's Lynn Jolicoeur reported that Romney appointed a special commission that outlined a plan for an "infallible" death penalty.
"It's going to send a shock wave in a community that deserves to be shocked, " said Romney.
Romney said the system proposed by his council on capital punishment would prevent some, maybe many, crimes, while punishing those who commit the most heinous ones.
"They're the ultimate crimes. They deserve the ultimate penalty," said Romney.
The panel of experts worked for the last eight months reviewing thousands of death penalty studies and case records to come up with a virtually error-proof system.
The panel proposed a requirement of "no doubt," as opposed to beyond a "reasonable doubt" for juries.
"We have recommended a completely new array of safeguards and reviews for defendants charged with capital crimes and have made additional recommendations specifically regarding the review of physical evidence that must be performed in all such cases," said the commission's co-chair Dr. Fred Bieber.
Massachusetts abolished capital punishment 20 years ago, but has not executed anyone in over 50 years.
Some of the crimes that would fall under the proposed statute are the murder of a police officer, or murdering a witness to obstruct justice.
The governor said his staff will draw up Legislation in the next few weeks. But it faces an uncertain future in the Legislature, where leaders of both the House and Senate have opposed capital punishment.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/politics/3261940/detail.html
NewsCenter 5's Lynn Jolicoeur reported that Romney appointed a special commission that outlined a plan for an "infallible" death penalty.
"It's going to send a shock wave in a community that deserves to be shocked, " said Romney.
Romney said the system proposed by his council on capital punishment would prevent some, maybe many, crimes, while punishing those who commit the most heinous ones.
"They're the ultimate crimes. They deserve the ultimate penalty," said Romney.
The panel of experts worked for the last eight months reviewing thousands of death penalty studies and case records to come up with a virtually error-proof system.
The panel proposed a requirement of "no doubt," as opposed to beyond a "reasonable doubt" for juries.
"We have recommended a completely new array of safeguards and reviews for defendants charged with capital crimes and have made additional recommendations specifically regarding the review of physical evidence that must be performed in all such cases," said the commission's co-chair Dr. Fred Bieber.
Massachusetts abolished capital punishment 20 years ago, but has not executed anyone in over 50 years.
Some of the crimes that would fall under the proposed statute are the murder of a police officer, or murdering a witness to obstruct justice.
The governor said his staff will draw up Legislation in the next few weeks. But it faces an uncertain future in the Legislature, where leaders of both the House and Senate have opposed capital punishment.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/politics/3261940/detail.html
