Death Penalty Repeal in the Land of Enchantment

New Mexico is known for its breathtaking mountain ranges and vast deserts; its Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Inscription Rock at El Morro; its 13,161 foot tall Wheeler Peak; its mineral wealth contributing to its economy, notably its uranium, manganese and copper; its leadership in exploring ways to harness and develop solar and geothermal energy; and its vivid landscapes of beiges, blues, grays, burnt oranges and earthen browns which inspired the creative genius of such artists as New Mexican resident Georgia O'Keefe.

But as of March 18, 2009, New Mexico is known for something even more inspiring. It is the first Western state to repeal the death penalty in the 32 years since executions resumed in the U.S., and the second state in two years to do so including New Jersey in 2007.

The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty joins people around the country and the world in celebrating New Mexico's death penalty repeal. Like the wise legislators in New Jersey and New York legislators who refused to revive their death penalty statute, New Mexico's lawmakers concluded that they'd had enough of a system that does not deter murders, is unfairly and unequally applied, risks wrongful convictions, and diverts resources from more effective crime fighting and from programs that serve murder victims' families. Reviewing the flaws inherent in capital punishment, New Mexico's legislators knew that they could no longer justify maintaining it.

Governor Richardson and New Mexico's lawmakers acted as responsible, practical and pragmatic stewards of their constituents' ultimate well being and tax dollars. Particularly, in these economic times, government must take a careful look at all of its programs and policy choices, and given limited resources, retain only what works and works well. After taking a careful look, New Mexico concluded, as have other states, that the death penalty drains resources from state coffers which could otherwise be used for much-needed increases in budgets for law enforcement, neighborhood policing, adult and juvenile crime prevention, substance abuse treatment and counseling, as substance abuse often leads to criminal activity, and murder victims' families' support programs.

Repealing the death penalty in New Mexico creates the space for a serious conversation about how to respond more effectively to murder victims' family members' needs, and the needs of the community at large. In fact, the repeal bill's sponsor Representative Gail Chasey has pledged to enact legislation that would among other things, allow murder victims' families time off to attend judicial proceedings and would establish a Murder Victim Family Services Fund. We pledge our wholehearted support to those efforts.

The capital punishment issues which played a central role in Governor Richardson's decision to abolish it were those of wrongful executions and people of color disproportionately sentenced to death.

"Even with advances in DNA and other forensic evidence technologies, we can't be 100-percent sure that only the truly guilty are convicted of capital crimes," Governor Richardson's signing statement reads. "Evidence, including DNA evidence, can be manipulated. Prosecutors can still abuse their powers. We cannot ensure competent defense counsel for all defendants. The sad truth is the wrong person can still be convicted in this day and age, and in cases where that conviction carries with it the ultimate sanction, we must have ultimate confidence - I would say certitude - that the system is without flaw or prejudice. Unfortunately, this is demonstrably not the case. And it bothers me greatly that minorities are overrepresented in the prison population and on death row."

Thomas Jefferson once said that "The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the final and only legitimate object of good government." Or, as noted in Governor Richardson's signing statement, "In a society which values individual life and liberty above all else, where justice and not vengeance is the singular guiding principle of our system of criminal law, the potential for wrongful conviction and, God forbid, execution of an innocent person stands as anathema to our very sensibilities as human beings."

New Mexico's reputation as "The Land of Enchantment" is further enhanced by abolishing the death penalty. It is expected that other death penalty states will follow New Mexico's example.
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Comments

[dudleysharp]

Ms. Chamberlin:

You should be both accurate abd truthful. You equate murder and the death penalty. Fortunaltely, almost everybody knows the strong moral differences between crime and punishment, those who rape and murder children and those murderers who are executed for such crimes.

For committing capital murders, 80% of the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters support the death penalty.

It didn't take courage for Gov. Richardson to sign the repeal legislation, it took self interest.

[JakeMontero]

It interesting to me that anti death penalty folks are typically ardently pro-choice and the death penalty defenders are ardent anti abortion. Weird.

[ArticleFriendly]

When students (not prosecutors) can find that a person on death row is innocent or that someone put to death was innocent, then it's time to stop letting the government kill Americans... I'm willing to bet that if the prosecuting attorneys and judges that send people to die in our prison were held responsible for innocent people sent to the death chamber, the death penalty would not exist. But since they aren't, they seem to have the attitude of "Oh well, who really cares if we murder innocent people? They probably deserved it for something else if not for what they were convicted of. Besides, the jury found them guilty."

If one innocent person if murdered by our government (which is supposed to be all about truth & justice), then the death penalty must go.

[dudleysharp]

In fact, Gov. Richarson acted irresponsibly. All of the reasons he gave for death penalty repeal are, easily, contradicted.

go to:
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: A Rebuttal to Governor Richardson
Repeal of the Death Penalty in New Mexico
Dudley Sharp

http://homicidesurvivors.com/categories/Dudley%20Sharp%20-%20Justice%20Matters.aspx

[Nommo]

If appeals to decency fail, you can always convince with the pocketbook.

[Donna Chamberlain]

Anyone who has lost a loved one, knows the value of the gift of life. Every mother, father, sister, son,
wife, husband, cousin, nephew, brother or bosom friend who has watched or waited, as a Doctor "legally'
murders their loved one, knows the challenge we are given "To love ye one another>" Strapped to a gurney and with premeditated Murder our loved ones are aggressively being murdered by persons like dudley sharp. With gratitude and praying for the Grace of God to touch the souls of those like dudley,
we, the mothers and wives, the sisters and friends, the fathers and brothers of those who fall from the straight and narrow path,
do humbly thank and forever acknowledge the courage of Governor Richardson and all who have been involved in the 12 years of fortitude to see this bill to repeal death as a penalty pass into law here in the land of enchantment. Mother of Karl Eugene Chamberlain, murdered in the state of texas on june 11, 2008