Abolishing the Death Penalty -- Moving Forward

DENVER - The bill to abolish the death penalty in Colorado and create a cold case unit is moving forward in the state legislature.

In a 7-4 vote, the House Judiciary Committee approved the measure Wednesday.
State Representative Paul Weissman, a Democrat from Louisville, says abolishing the death penalty could save millions of dollars which could go elsewhere.

Weissman says the money should be used to create a cold case unit within the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to help investigate unsolved homicides.

"By eliminating the death penalty the state itself saves about $800,000," said Weissman. "If you count local governments, it saves $4.5 million. Take about $600,000 of that, you can create a cold case unit in the state and also beef up forensics and chemical labs."

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