In Columbia, the House Judiciary Committee approved...
In Columbia, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill banning executions of the mentally retarded
In Columbia, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill banning executions of the mentally retarded.
The bill would require a pretrial hearing to determine mental capacity if the state filed notice of intent to seek the death penalty, said Rep. Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, the bill's sponsor.
If the defendant were mentally retarded, it would be declared a non-death penalty case, and a convicted defendant would be sentenced to life in prison.
Observers say the bill could affect at least 10 of the 71 inmates on South Carolina's death row.
The bill would require a pretrial hearing to determine mental capacity if the state filed notice of intent to seek the death penalty, said Rep. Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, the bill's sponsor.
If the defendant were mentally retarded, it would be declared a non-death penalty case, and a convicted defendant would be sentenced to life in prison.
Observers say the bill could affect at least 10 of the 71 inmates on South Carolina's death row.
— SOURCES
- (Sources: Charleston Post and Courier, 18/02/2003)