On the heels of a U

On the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting the execution of mentally handicapped criminals, a Senate panel passed legislation to set up court procedures to determine which capital criminals can avoid lethal injection. Grappling with opposing proposals, the Senate Judiciary "C" Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 244, which would ask juries to determine whether a defendant is mentally handicapped before sentencing but after he has been convicted. If found to be retarded, the defendant would not be eligible for the death penalty, only life imprisonment. The successful legislation, sponsored by Sen. Art Lentini, R-Kenner, was amended to include several components of the definition of mentally retardation largely favored by advocates and criminal defense attorneys.