Last year New Hampshire won international attention when the legislature voted to repeal the state's death penalty. Opponents of capital punishment are pressing the issue again, even though Governor Shaheen is standing by her belief that some crimes are serious enough to merit death.
UNDAUNTED BY THE GOVERNOR'S OPPOSITION, DOZENS OF DEATH PENALTY OPPONENTS PACKED HOUSE PUBLIC HEARING. THEY ARGUED THAT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IS IMMORAL AND DOES NOT DETER CRIME. THEY SAID NEW HAMPSHIRE SHOULDN'T RUN THE RISK OF EXECUTING AN INNOCENT PERSON. THEN, TO BRING THAT POINT HOME, THEY INTRODUCED A MAN WHO HAD BEEN WRONGLY SENT TO DEATH ROW. FOR ALMOST NINE YEARS, KIRK BLOODSWORTH WAS IMPRISONED IN MARYLAND FOR A RAPE AND MURDER HE DIDN'T COMMIT.
17 304 I was a person who was convicted not once but twice. Despite all the protections provided by the sys I wd have been executed saying I was innocent and having no one listen to what I had to say.
IF NEW HAMPSHIRE REPEALS THE DEATH PENALTY, IT WILL BE THE FIRST STATE TO DO SO SINCE 1976, WHEN THE U-S SUPREME COURT LIFTED A FEDERAL BAN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. CRITICS OF THE PRACTICE URGED THE STATE TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE JIM SPLAINE OF PORTSMOUTH TOLD THE COMMITTEE HE BELIEVES EVENTUALLY EVERY STATE WILL BAN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
003 137 I think it wd be so good if we can look back on that day and say that nh in the year 2001 was the first state to do so. Texas might be last but at least nh could be the first to do so.
SUPPORTERS OF THE DEATH PENALTY ARGUED THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE DOESN'T ABUSE IT, AS TEXAS AND OTHER STATES HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF DOING. JUDY REARDON IS GOVERNOR SHAHEEN'S LEGAL COUNSEL.
12 133 many of the args you will hear today in supp of this bill are based on exper in others states not nh. Nh dp law carefully safeguards defendants rights. No one has been executed in nh since 1939. No one sits on death row in nh. Cap indictments have been brought only in the most exceptional cases.
SOME MEMBERS OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY TESTIFIED THAT THEY BELIEVE THE THREAT OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DOES DETER CRIME. NEW HAMPSHIRE ATTORNEY GENERAL PHILIP MCLAUGHLIN THE DEATH PENALTY IS THE LEAST THE STATE CAN DO TO PROTECT ITS POLICE.
in my veiw there is no one more vulnerable than a 22, 23, 24 yr old young man or woman making a roadside stop in one of our towns, at night with no backup. Thats vulnerable. Ladies and gentlemen, we send these kids out there.
WHILE THE DEATH PENALTY REPEAL PASSED BOTH HOUSES LAST YEAR, THE BILL'S SUPPORTERS SAY WITH A NEWLY ELECTED LEGISLATURE THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES IT WILL PASS THIS YEAR. FEW WILL EVEN SPECULATE ON THE CHANCES OF GETTING A VETO-PROOF MARGIN. ACTIVISTS APPEAR TO BE DIGGING IN FOR A LONG FIGHT. ONE DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER WRYLY NOTED THAT IT TOOK TWENTY YEARS TO GET THE MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY PASSED. FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC RADIO I'M
