A Senate committee approved a proposal

A Senate committee approved a proposal that would allow the state to execute people convicted of a second sexual assault on a child 12 years old and under.
The bill applies to perpetrators who threaten to retaliate against their victims, and who are convicted. Prosecutors would have to submit DNA evidence to pursue the death penalty. If there is no DNA, the maximum penalty would be life in prison. Cathryn Hazouri, executive director of the ACLU in Colorado, said she believes the bill is unconstitutional because a person convicted using DNA could face the death penalty, while another predator who did not leave DNA could avoid it. The bill (Senate Bill 195) is sponsored by Sen. Steve Ward, R- Littleton, and now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee, where it faces a tough, uphill battle because of a high price tag for defending and prosecuting death penalty cases.
Doug Wilson, the state's chief public defender, said only 5 states - Montana, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Louisiana - have similar laws on the books. He said the Louisiana law is being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court and could be decided later this year.