Neal’s death-penalty ban fails to move committee

Erin Neff

Thursday, March 13, 2003 | 9:45 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Sen. Joe Neal tried again Wednesday morning to abolish the death penalty in Nevada, urging lawmakers to enact a system of "justice without vengeance."

But his arguments to the Senate Judiciary Committee seemed to fall on deaf ears. During the hearing, none of the lawmakers had so much as a single question for Neal, his co-sponsor or the legion of death penalty opponents who testified on Senate Bill 217.

The committee took no action on the legislation.

"We are back again because I think it's an issue that should be considered, if not passed, by every session of the Legislature," Neal, D-North Las Vegas, said.

Assemblyman Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks and chairman of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, told lawmakers the state's capital system is flawed, costly and irrelevant to deterrence.

"It's a gross miscarriage of justice," said Anderson, who co-sponsored SB217.

Anderson and Neal were part of a legislative interim committee to study the death penalty. The committee has recommended a variety of reforms based on the study, which determined the state's capital punishment system is flawed and offers few protections against executing those who are not the worst of the worst.

Representatives of the religious community, civil rights and human rights groups spoke in favor of the bill.

Prosecutors spoke against the measure, saying the death penalty is reserved for the worst offenders and that the system has checks and balances to ensure that innocent defendants are not sentenced to death.

"There may be problems elsewhere, but we don't believe there are that many problems here," Washoe County Deputy District Attorney Dan Greco said.

Sen. Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas, who also served on the interim committee, reminded his fellow panelists that the study panel did not recommend abolition of the death penalty.

Nolan, a former paramedic who currently works for the county coroner, witnessed an execution and said his beliefs have not changed.

"In comparison to the way the death penalty is administered, the crimes against some victims proves the death penalty is not cruel," Nolan said.