After months of deliberation, a panel appointed by Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has come up with a way that capital punishment can be instituted without the risk that an innocent person could be executed, the Boston Globe reports. The Governor’s Council on Capital Punishment soon will detail how scientific evidence, such as DNA, can provide what council aides insisted is foolproof evidence of guilt.
The report will intensify debate over capital punishment in Massachusetts, one of 12 states without the death penalty. Critics doubt that a flawless system can be developed.
Romney is expected to propose legislation calling for the death penalty for a limited number of “heinous, violent crimes.” The report could prove critical to persuading a handful of members in the House of Representatives, the major roadblock to approval of capital punishment, to drop their opposition.
Link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/04/22/report_to_back_death_penalty/