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Counting some of the economic costs of the death penalty in North Carolina

By Douglas A. Berman

Thanks to this entry at the Death Penalty Information Center, I saw this interesting report in the Independent Weekly, which is headlined "The high cost of the death penalty: Nickel-and-dimed to death." Here are snippets from the piece: [C]ourt fees related to capital trials, those in which prosecutors seek the death penalty for murder, cost North Carolina millions of dollars.  The costs are incurred even if the charges are reduced or dismissed.  Given the state's budget crisis, which has forced lawmakers to cut funding for education, social services and children's health insurance, money spent on pursuing death penalty cases arguably could be better used.  Nationwide, several states, including Colorado and Kansas, are considering abolishing the death penalty to save money...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on June 28, 2009 (boomark / email).