CADP Active in Legislative Battles
The CADP Legislative Action Committee took an active, but behind-the-scenes, role in the state legislature earlier this year in opposing a bill to do away with three-judge sentencing and give trial judges, acting alone, the power to impose the death penalty. To counter this legislation, CADP worked with lobbyists and other organizations to encourage SB 28, a bill which also would have abolished three-judge panels but would have returned the sentencing decision to juries rather than judges.
There were several reasons, other than opposition to the death penalty, to oppose sentencing by the trial judge and support jury sentencing. SB 28 was sponsored by senators who believe in the jury system. It was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, on a vote of 5 to 3, but was defeated on the Senate floor in February. The trial judge sentencing bill survived a little longer, gaining approval in the House before being voted down in the Senate on March 24.
The lessons learned this year can be put to use in 2001. CADP thanks the committee members, lobbyists and citizens who volunteered their time and effort; as a result of their work, we have avoided the passage of a law which would have had a devastating effect on death penalty cases in Colorado.
Coloradans Against the Death Penalty Newsletter -- Spring 2000
See the Web site's News section for more articles and information about the death penalty.
