In Carson City, a bill that would have abolished capital...

In Carson City, a bill that would have abolished capital punishment for killers under age 18 died in a Senate committee. The Judiciary Committee, on a 4-3 party line vote with 4 Republicans voting no, rejected Assembly Bill 118 (see march 31, 2003). Judiciary Chairman Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, said he was convinced of the need for the bill by testimony from an expert witness who said children under age 18 are psychologically not adults and should not be treated as adults in the court system. But Amodei said the bill's supporters insisted that the bill, which already had cleared the Assembly, not be amended. And, without the ability to offer an amendment to allow age-related factors to be used as a defense against capital punishment rather than a blanket ban, Amodei said he could not support it.