New York high court rules death penalty statute violates state constitution
Thursday, June 24, 2004 at 02:51AM
TheSpook
The New York Court of Appeals ruled today that part of the state's
death penalty statute violates the state constitution, potentially
overturning the sentences of all four inmates on death row in the
state. The 4-3 ruling, which came in the case of Stephen LaValle, who
was convicted of raping and killing a jogger in 1997, said the
sentencing rules could force some jurors to vote for a death sentence
rather than deadlock. In New York, if the jury deadlocks, a 20 to 25
year to life sentence is imposed, with the possibility of parole. [more]
Article originally appeared on (http://brownwatch.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.