March 19, 2024

Death penalty - Virginia abolishes the death penalty - News

Death penalty – Virginia abolishes the death penalty – News

  • The death penalty will be abolished in the US state of Virginia.
  • Both state houses of parliament voted in favor of the repeal, leaving only the signature of Governor Ralph Northam missing.
  • His approval is confirmed.

“This is an important step forward for ensuring that our criminal justice system is fair and equitable,” Northam said Monday in a joint statement with House Speaker Eileen Feller Korn and Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslow. In the United States, 22 of the 50 states have abolished the death penalty so far.

It is not a fair and effective tool of criminal justice

“In Virginia’s long history, this state has executed more people than any other state,” the statement said. “It is time to put an end to this mechanism of death.” She argued that the death penalty is not a fair and effective tool of criminal justice. Since 1976, 113 executions have been carried out in the state, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

In general, the death penalty is on the decline in the United States. In many places, this is related to changing public opinion, but also with the increasing difficulties of obtaining materials for lethal injection. In addition, the death penalty leads to long and costly legal disputes.

President Joe Biden opposes the death penalty

In 2020, a total of 17 people have been executed in the United States by five states and the federal government, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The federal government has not implemented the death penalty in nearly two decades. However, the administration of former President Donald Trump pushed through with its reintroduction. New President Joe Biden opposes the death penalty.

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