Re: HB 102-Abolish the Death Penalty (March 7, 2001)
Before the House of Delegate's Judiciary Committee
Annapolis, Md.
My name is William Hughes. I am an attorney and an author from Baltimore
City.
I don't believe the state of Maryland should be in the business of
executing convicted criminals. This is a barbaric practice that has no
place in a civilized society. The death penalty doesn't deter criminals
either. What it does do is teach the wrong lesson that it is alright to
kill, if you have a supposedly righteous cause and the power to carry it
out.
When a society stoops to executing defenseless individuals, it also
erodes the more enduring values of our Republic. Revenge is not one of
those values, nor is it a virtue. The state should not be used as a tool
to balance some mythical scale of justice that has its roots in the
biblical era.
HB 102 is also timely. It is clear from recent statistics that it is the
poor and minorities who are disproportionately the victims of the death
penalty hysteria. If you're wealthy, the chances are you will be able to
retain the best kind of legal representation and even if you don't beat
the case, such a defendant will more than likely escape receiving the
ultimate penalty. The recent murder case involving one of the DuPonts
comes to my mind. He was able to plead the insanity defense in his
situation.
In addition, statistics compiled by the "National Coalition Against the
Death Penalty," show that since 1972, 69 people convicted of a capital
offense in this country and awaiting the death sentence have since been
found innocent and released from custody. Twelve states and the District
of Columbia are without capital punishment laws. Let Maryland join that
group.
This Committee should be aware that death penalty cases for indigent
defendants cost the taxpayers, too, through their funding of the state's
"Public Defenders Office."
Equity and justice demand an end to the state's killing machine. HB 102
warrants the approval of this honorable Committee.
© William Hughes
William Hughes is the author of “Andrew Jackson vs. New World Order” (Authors Choice Press) and “Baltimore Iconoclast” (Writer’s Showcase), which are availabel online. He can be reached at liamhughes@mindspring.com.
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