Boulder DA in Favor of Axing Death Penalty
The Denver Post
As Colorado lawmakers consider repealing
the death penalty, Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett said he would
most likely be in favor of a bill doing away with capital punishment, a
stance that is not surprising given Boulder's history -- or lack thereof
-- with the practice.
Three years after a previous attempt to
end the death penalty failed, some legislators -- including Boulder's
Rep. Claire Levy -- have said they are once again looking into doing so.
While Garnett said he would have to review the specific language of any
proposed legislation to end it, he did say he supported doing away with
the punishment.
"As the D.A. in Boulder I want to be a voice for
a progressive approach to law enforcement and public safety," Garnett
said. "I don't think the death penalty is a tool that is useful or
should be a part of law enforcement in Colorado."
Garnett said
the problem with the death penalty is a practical one. Very few cases
ever meet the criteria to seek the death penalty, and because trials
involving the death penalty take longer and often see more appeals, they
cost prosecutors more to take to trial.
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