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Texas Senate Approves Life Without Parole Option

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 12:49:45 PM EST
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The Texas Senate today approved a law (S.B. 60) that would require capital juries to be advised that if they did not return a death sentence, the defendant would be required to serve life with no parole. Life with parole would no longer be an option.

Under current law, Texas juries that find a guilty a verdict in a capital murder case can decide whether the defendant receives the death penalty or a life term with the possibility for parole. Under the bill, the two options would be execution by lethal injection or life in prison without parole.

This is good news because it is expected that fewer jurors would vote for death if they know LWOP was the only other option and the killer would never be released. Just last week the bill looked like it was on life-support, this is quite a victory.

Some editorials supporting LWOP are
here and here.

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    • Texas Senate Approves Life Without Parole Option | 6 comments (6 topical)
    Re: Texas Senate Approves Life Without Parole Opti (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 01:16:11 PM EST
    What a first important step to stop TX death row filling up as it has for the last 15 years. Now we'll see if jurors who said after the facts they would have chosen LWOP if they had the choice only said so to clear their conscience or if truly at the time of deliberation they will take responsibility for their life and death decision. This is surprising outcome but a very welcome one. Of course, Perry can always veto this bill (as he did for the mentally retarded) so I guess we are not at the end of the surprises yet.

    Re: Texas Senate Approves Life Without Parole Opti (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 02:11:33 PM EST
    This is really great news... Thanks for the information.

    Re: Texas Senate Approves Life Without Parole Opti (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 03:20:53 PM EST
    In Australia we are way beyond this debate and the death penalty has not been ivkoed since 1967. It formally abolished by statute in 1975. The U.S. doesn't understand history that is why it refuses to learn from it.

    Re: Texas Senate Approves Life Without Parole Opti (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 05:03:45 PM EST
    Well Kevin, so are we in Europe. The LWOP was never an issue to be traded against the abolition, but America is not there yet...

    Re: Texas Senate Approves Life Without Parole Opti (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 03:12:34 PM EST
    This is excellent news indeed. Our friends elsewhere in the world have figured out that the death penalty is a no-win situation. Why can't we?

    Re: Texas Senate Approves Life Without Parole Opti (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 04:21:46 AM EST
    America has a very different culture of punishment, vengeance and justice. Justice remains far too political in the US and as long as DAs, Sheriffs and state judges will be elected, the problem will no go away. Abolition is a moral choice, but it is first and foremost a political decision.

    Texas Senate Approves Life Without Parole Option | 6 comments (6 topical)