Governor Holden signed a bill approved by th legislature...

Governor Holden signed a bill approved by th legislature onMay 11, 2001 that prohibits the imposition of the death penalty on a defendant who suffers from mental retardation. The bill provides for life imprisonment for a person with mental retardation who is found guilty of first-degree murder. The law will not be effective until August 28, is not retroactive to those currently on death row. However, the governor indicated he would consider commuting the death sentences of those who meet the law's definition for retardation.