ALBANY - The state Senate's Republican majority approved a bill Monday that would restore the death penalty for cop killers, even though it has little chance of becoming law.
“Officers are dying across this state,” said Republican Sen. Martin Golden of Brooklyn, the bill's sponsor. “The right think is to send a message across the state that we care for our officers.”
He noted that 10 police officers and state troopers have been killed in less than two years, a growing trend he blamed on a lack of deterrence.
He said capital punishment would act as a deterrent.
Supporters read a recent court transcript in a police shooting in which a defendant said part of their reason to take the shot was because they knew they wouldn't face a death sentence if caught.
“There is evil walking on the streets of the city and state of New York, endangering the lives of every single police officer,” Golden said.
But the Democratic minority noted a mistake in sentencing someone to death is irreversible, the cost of imposing a death sentence with all the required hearings is too costly, and the morality is indefensible.
New York's death penalty law, passed in 1995 under Republican Gov. George Pataki, was nullified in 2004 by the state's highest court over the way juries were instructed to consider the sentence.
The Assembly's Democratic majority, which approved the 1995 law, held hearings after the court decision and no longer support capital punishment.
Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer has supported the death penalty for cop killers and terrorists, but hasn't supported the Senate measure.
“I don't believe these vicious, vicious sociopaths are deterred” by a death penalty, said Sen. Martin Connor, a Brooklyn Democrat.
“Let's be clear, there's racism in our criminal justice system in almost every single level,” said Sen. Kevin Parker, a Brooklyn Democrat.
“So we have to compensate for the failures of what happens on the ground ... we certainly cannot let African Americans and Latinos be overwhelmingly victims of a racist criminal justice system.”
The bill passed in the Senate along party lines, 37-24, but isn't expected to reach the Assembly floor for a vote.
He noted that 10 police officers and state troopers have been killed in less than two years, a growing trend he blamed on a lack of deterrence.
He said capital punishment would act as a deterrent.
Supporters read a recent court transcript in a police shooting in which a defendant said part of their reason to take the shot was because they knew they wouldn't face a death sentence if caught.
“There is evil walking on the streets of the city and state of New York, endangering the lives of every single police officer,” Golden said.
But the Democratic minority noted a mistake in sentencing someone to death is irreversible, the cost of imposing a death sentence with all the required hearings is too costly, and the morality is indefensible.
New York's death penalty law, passed in 1995 under Republican Gov. George Pataki, was nullified in 2004 by the state's highest court over the way juries were instructed to consider the sentence.
The Assembly's Democratic majority, which approved the 1995 law, held hearings after the court decision and no longer support capital punishment.
Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer has supported the death penalty for cop killers and terrorists, but hasn't supported the Senate measure.
“I don't believe these vicious, vicious sociopaths are deterred” by a death penalty, said Sen. Martin Connor, a Brooklyn Democrat.
“Let's be clear, there's racism in our criminal justice system in almost every single level,” said Sen. Kevin Parker, a Brooklyn Democrat.
“So we have to compensate for the failures of what happens on the ground ... we certainly cannot let African Americans and Latinos be overwhelmingly victims of a racist criminal justice system.”
The bill passed in the Senate along party lines, 37-24, but isn't expected to reach the Assembly floor for a vote.
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