Story Archives of 'Death Penalty'

Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee took up a bill that would create a study commission to examine the death penalty.

The House has already passed the measure.

But New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports the Attorney General warns passing the legislation could affect the two capital cases her office is pursuing.

Attorney’s for Michael Addison are going to court Thursday.
Addison’s been charged with the 2006 murder of Manchester police officer Michael Briggs.
And the state is pursuing the death penalty.
But when his lawyers stand before the judge, they’re going to argue that their client can’t get a fair trial in this state.
And they are asking the court to dismiss the indictment.
NHPR Correspondent Ellen Grimm reports from Manchester.

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections has a lot of work to do.

The federal government is requiring New Hampshire to execute convicted murder Gary Sampson.

And Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is seeking the death penalty in the murder cases against Michael Addison and John Brooks.

But right now the state doesn’t have a place to put people to death- it doesn’t even have a death row.

New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein looks into just what New Hampshire must do to prepare.

New Hampshire has not executed anyone since Howard Long in 1939. Now, with the murder of a Manchester police officer, the Attorney General's Office is pursuing the death penalty for the alleged perpetrator. We'll look at New Hampshire's long history with the death penalty, how complicated these types of cases are and try to get an idea of where Granite Staters are in terms of the ultimate capital punishment. Laura's guests are Richard McNamara, civil attorney who is President of the NH Bar, author of numerous books on criminal procedure and a former State Prosecutor with the AG Office and Barbara Kershen, Staff Attorney for the NH Civil Liberties Union, former member of the Public Defender's Office and former Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Justice Bureau in the 90's. Kershen was part of the defense of Gordon Perry in 1997, the last person to have capital murder charges brought against him in the state of New Hampshire. We'll also hear from New Hampshire Union Leader Reporter Kathryn Marchocki who has been covering the story of Officer Michael Briggs.

A death penalty ruling by the US Supreme Court will have an effect in New Hampshire. The high court has ruled that executing people who committed their crimes when they were under 18…..constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. The 5 to 4 decision invalidates laws in 19 states, including NH, which allow the execution of minors.