Maryland General Assembly backs death penalty review commission
[LEGAL] The General Assembly of Maryland [official website], a law establishing the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment, study, implementation and execution of the death penalty in that state. The State House authorizes HB 1111 [text] with a vote on Monday, 89-48, and later, the Senate approves SB 614 [text] by a 32-15 vote. The Commission will continue its study on race and socio-economic factors and rates of the death penalty, the risk of executing innocent people and that the economic differences in the management of the death penalty against people in detention for life. A full report of the Commission shall be submitted to the General Assembly of December 15.
The Maryland debate on the death penalty [LAWYER-News Archive] has been changed by a December 2006 decision by the Maryland Court of Appeals, instead of [LAWYER report], the procedure for lethal injection of the state is subject to administrative procedures and the law must apply in the context of the conduct of the Maryland Attorney General, and a legislative committee, to review and comment by the public. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) [Profile] was extremely critical Maryland by the application of the death penalty, and asked in the last year [LAWYER report] of the General Assembly, before the repeal of the death penalty, voted for the abolition of the practice because it “intrinsically unfair,” As an effective deterrent and a burden on resources. The removal has failed [LAWYER-News Archive] in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee [official website] to a 5-5 tie vote. A second repealed Act is currently before the Senate, and is unlikely to be back [Baltimore Sun report]. AP.