Death Penalty Bill Dies in NH Senate

For the second time this year, the New Hampshire Senate has rejected House legislation proposing to abolish the state's death penalty.

The Senate made quick work May 22 of the latest bill, which sought to make the penalty for capital murder from execution by lethal injection to life imprisonment without eligibility of parole.

Senate Bill 202 was championed by the NH Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and it pointed to the botched execution of Clayton Lockett as one of its reasons.

Those against a repeal of the death penalty argued, during the House passage last week, that the state's law is very narrowly defined – New Hampshire has not executed anyone since 1939.

Others said the law should be kept on the books, citing the murder Manchester Police Officer Michael L. Briggs, as well as the line of duty death of Brentwood Police Officer Stephen Arkell on May 12, 2014.