Lawmakers approve Va. death penalty expansion

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The Associated Press
© March 10, 2010

RICHMOND

Virginia lawmakers have approved bills that will expand the death penalty, making more people eligible for capital punishment in a state that already is home to the nation's second-busiest death chamber.

A bill allowing the death penalty for those who kill auxiliary police officers now heads to Gov. Bob McDonnell, who supports expanding the death penalty. Another bill to make those who kill fire marshals eligible for death heads back to the House for likely approval of a change the Senate made.

The move comes a week before Virginia executes another inmate and as several other states attempt to limit the number of executions rather than expand the crimes eligible for death.

This year, eight states introduced bills to either abolish the death penalty or limit its application

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Doesn't compute

Submitted by RichardNYC on Wed, 03/10/2010 at 10:12 pm.

I live in New York City. We do not execute people in our state at all. Norfolk's murder rate is more than twice New York City's, its rape rate more than 3 times. Burglary and auto theft are more than twice as prevalent in Norfolk as in New York City. Maybe you need better policing and fewer executions, because the deterrent doesn't seem to be working.

stop hating on va cities

Submitted by zookeeper on Thu, 03/11/2010 at 6:15 am.

I hope the legislature could actually spend time on legislation that could help VA citizens more meaningfully than "new death ideas" and "eliminate motorcycle helmet fines", but I'm realistic enough to know that's a silly dream.

As for your ignorant comment about Norfolk murder/crime rate anyone with half an education would know VA center-cities are surrounded by suburb-cities that are many times larger... you get statistic's that amplify inner-urban demographics, making non-va cities look "safer". If there was a "city of Harlem" I'm sure there would be charming statistics too.

Maybe you could advocate for NYC education instead, it seems to have failed you.

Pardon

Submitted by RichardNYC on Thu, 03/11/2010 at 9:36 am.

When I grew up in Norfolk people were polite, so you must not be from Norfolk originally. Anyone with 3/4 of an education knows "ignorant" means not knowing, which is not true here. For the heck of it I looked up the crime rate for Chesapeake and found murders there to be about the same as New York's, rape substantially higher. Virginia Beach's rates are more favorable than New York's, so your point is valid to the extent Virginia has allowed higher socio-economic groups to flee to their enclaves. For your informaton, New York is 8.1 million people out of an area of roughly 20 million, so we have "white flight" suburbs, too. We are proud that 2.3 million of those were born in another country and are getting along pretty well in our city.

1. You do not address the issue whether the threat of execution deters major crimes, which it appears not to.

2. The quality of education is not the issue here, so you seem to be sensitive to an "outsider agitator" criticizing what goes on in Virginia. For the record New York City is doing a good job with a school population of 1 million that is diverse and difficult to manage.

funny... sorry to disappoint

Submitted by zookeeper on Fri, 03/12/2010 at 3:28 am.

funny... sorry to disappoint but I was born and lived in norfolk until adulthood

Obviously you have a hardon for rape statistics and all things va news... even though you're a "proud" new yorker now. It seems silly that your advocacy for eliminating the death penalty leads you to draw simplified conclusions like new york has a better police force due to statistics about lower rape.. maybe they're not reported, maybe they're covered up, maybe no one cares and it doesn't make a difference

as for all the blah blah about immigrants and city pride, that doesn't have anything to do with the death penalty?

U need to stop blog-advocacy and realize that new york and va are very different places... so just give up, and yes you are very ignorant

No Byline

Submitted by SamD on Wed, 03/10/2010 at 9:04 pm.

Typical anti death penalty drivel. Pointing out how busy our "death chamber" is and contrasting Virginia to the states that are against the death penalty. It is interesting that most death penalty opponents are pro-choice.

Huh?

Submitted by RichardNYC on Thu, 03/11/2010 at 9:39 am.

Do you care to address the overwhelming evidence that the threat of killing people does not deter capital crimes? Do you care to address the racial bias of capital punishment? Do you care to address the matter of innocent people's lives being taken through mistakes in the criminal-justice system? These are the issues.