The Washington Post is reporting the House bill that would renew the USA Patriot Act includes little-noticed provisions that would dramatically alter the federal death penalty system. The bill allows for smaller juries to decide on executions and grants prosecutors the right to re-try suspects if a jury deadlocks on sentencing. The bill also triples the number of terrorism-related crimes eligible for the death penalty. The Justice Department has already endorsed the provisions. Jennifer Daskal of Human Rights Watch, told the Post : “These are radical changes in the way federal death penalty cases are litigated, and they were added virtually without any debate.”
Renewed Patriot Act to Alter Death Penalty Rules
HeadlineOct 27, 2005