Colorado has one of the better systems of legal representation,...

Colorado has one of the better systems of legal representation, a small death row and no executions in 1999 or 1998. But since 1995, when the state legislature stripped juries of the right to decide on executions, prosecutors have begun seeking the death penalty more often because they believe judges are more likely than juries to condemn criminals to death. As a result, Colorado's death row population soon could double or even triple. "In Colorado, there have usually been one or two death penalty cases pending in the state. Now there are a dozen," defense lawyer David Lane said. By comparison, Colorado had two death penalty trials in 1995 and three in 1996. There were none in 1997 and one in 1998.