New Mexico joins NJ banning the Death Penalty

by: Jason Springer

Fri Mar 20, 2009 at 04:00:00 PM EDT

"Regardless of my personal opinion about the death penalty, I do not have confidence in the criminal justice system as it currently operates to be the final arbiter when it comes to who lives and who dies for their crime," Richardson said.

The strong bipartisan vote in the New Mexico Legislature comes amidst a growing chorus of concern about the death penalty across the country.  New Mexico's decision to end capital punishment brings to 15 the number of states that no longer carry out executions.  Other states have put executions on hold or enacted studies.  With executions and death sentences on decline since 2000 in every region of the nation, and with public opinion moving away from support for capital punishment, it is clear that America is rethinking the death penalty.

"I want to commend Governor Richardson for signing legislation repealing the death penalty in New Mexico.  Governor Richardson's decision to abolish the death penalty in his state, regardless of his own personal opinion on the matter, demonstrates the true character of a leader.  

Governor Richardson understands that the criminal justice system is not perfect and innocent people are, at times, wrongfully accused of crimes they did not commit.  I firmly believe replacing the death penalty with a sentence of life in prison without parole best captures our highest values and reflects our best efforts to search for true justice."

"I applaud Governor Bill Richardson and the members of the New Mexico State Legislature for recognizing that no good comes from the death penalty. As New Jersey decided in 2007, capital punishment exposes the innocent to execution, causes more suffering for the family members of murder victims, serves no penal purpose and detracts our society from addressing serious problems of crime and the effectiveness of our prison system.

I am proud that the Garden State lead the way in abolishing our death penalty statute. And I am pleased to welcome New Mexico as the second state to abolish the death penalty since the Supreme Court reinstated it in 1976. I hope that Governor Richardson?s actions today will serve as an example for the 35 other states and federal government that still practice capital punishment."

Democratic US Senator Russell Feingold on Thursday introduced legislation to put an immediate halt to federal executions and abolish the death penalty for violations of federal law.

"It is truly unfortunate that we are in a shrinking minority of countries that continue to allow state-sponsored executions," he said, noting that capital punishment has been banned in 123 countries around the world.