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Virginia Senate Panel Rejects 'Triggerman' Bill

By Steve Hall

That's the title of the news report in today's Virginian Pilot.  It's written by Julian Walker. Legislation described as a ?pared-down? expansion of the death penalty died in a Senate committee Wednesday. Sen. Mark Obenshain?s bill, SB1200, was drafted to redefine the so-called triggerman rule to a make it clear in the law that a principal co-conspirator in the rape and murder of another would be eligible for the death penalty even if the offender didn?t commit the killing. Under current law, only the person who commits capital murder can be sentenced to death. The bill to change that policy was defeated on an 8-6 vote in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. It came up in that committee Monday, but action was delayed after Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax County, requested an amendment to the bill to exempt a person who was present during a rape and murder but didn?t actively participate in either act...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on February 03, 2011 (boomark / email).