Abolishing death penalty will embolden criminals
Within 24 hours after the Nov. 6 election, the New Jersey Senate and Assembly leadership announced their intention to introduce legislation to abolish the death penalty in our state.

What's significant about this announcement is the display of bravery on the part of Senate President Codey and Assembly Speaker Roberts. Neither they nor their party colleagues ever discussed their intentions to do so during the election campaign. In fact, the campaign issues were directed elsewhere so the electorate never had a chance to hear a debate on the death penalty. How courageous of them now, to announce the abolishment of the death penalty within 30 days after the election during a lame duck legislative session? This deprives newly elected legislators from even being able to participate.

Regardless of one's opinion about the merits of the death penalty, the methods used by these brave cowardly leaders in Trenton are reprehensible. During the past 44 years not a single convicted killer on death row has been executed. Why not? Because the New Jersey Supreme Court justices have used every trick in their clever judicial opinions to make it impossible to execute even the most guilty on death row. The never-ending appeals process also allows the judicial system and the ultimate punishment to be thwarted.

Often, examples of someone who has served decades on death row, and then found to be innocent because of recently discovered DNA evidence, is used to support abolition of the death penalty. It's important to note that decades ago DNA was not available to prove guilt or innocence. However, today it is. DNA evidence should be used in every case where a guilty verdict is being considered in a murder conviction. Scientific progress now makes it possible for juries to avoid the mistakes that took place in the past.

Those who point to the execution of the innocent never mention these advances in evidentiary technology that caused such unfortunate convictions.

We live in a state where murders are not only a daily occurrence in our large cities, but are becoming a common occurrence in the most unlikely places. If execution of these killers is not a deterrent as opponents of the death penalty often claim, what is? Could a life sentence at leisure behind bars be so horrible that a killer would think twice about murdering a police officer, a child, or an entire family? I think not.

[When] New Jersey becomes the 13th state in the nation to abolish the death penalty, we can expect more boldness on the part of the criminals. I've never heard of a death row inmate appeal a life sentence without parole. Perhaps that's because such a sentence guarantees bed and board for life.

Frank J. Chrinko

Kendall Park