PUERTO RICAN ABOLITIONISTS GAIN SUPPORT FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT

the Puerto Rican Coalition Against the Death Penalty and the Puerto Rican secretary of justice are working hand-in-hand to resist death sentences imposed by US federal courts. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has its own constitution and laws, which prohibit the death penalty, but they are subordinated to the US federal legislation. The Puerto Rican department of justice has pledged to prosecute all cases of carjackings resulting in death locally, taking advantage of a recent US department of justice directive that encourages local rather than federal prosecution. That crime has often been the focus of federal prosecution in Puerto Rico, leading to death sentences. From now on, Puerto Rican authorities have said that they will only transfer cases to a federal court if it guarantees that it will not seek the death penalty. The Puerto Rican Coalition demands that the governor establishes a committee to seek the complete exclusion of Puerto Rico from the scope of US federal death penalty legislation. The Puerto Rican Coalition also hopes to strike a deal with the department of education to distribute material about the death penalty in local schools.