Changing the Death Penalty in Connecticut

Connecticut’s death penalty law is being reviewed, and may be changed as early as this week.

On Friday, the legislature’s judiciary committee discussed the state's death penalty law, to determine if it should be repaired, completely scrapped or left as is. The panel reviewed proposals by Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane that aim to address lengthy delays in implementing the death penalty law.

The committee voted 24-13 in March to advance a bill to abolish the death penalty, with supporters calling the existing law unworkable and expensive. At that time the committee had also asked Kane to come up with proposals for a more workable death penalty.

Kane's plan calls for streamlining the appeals process by implementing time limits and changing the practice of automatically delaying execution every time an appeal is filed.

Just one inmate has been executed in Connecticut in nearly 50 years - convicted killer Michael Ross in 2005. Ross was executed only after he requested it and he had to wage a legal fight to do so.

Alisha Leavelle has studied the death penalty laws in the state of Connecticut. Click here for the detailed story.

Crossroads Magazine will continue to bring you updates on the changing law.