Assembly Republicans Seek to Retain the Death Penalty for the Worst Offenders

Argue the Voters Should Consider the Issue Directly

Assembly Republicans, appalled at the utter contempt that the Democrat-controlled leadership is showing for the people of New Jersey in conspiring to rush a bill through the lame-duck Legislature that would eliminate the death penalty despite strong public opposition to the scheme, plan on offering a series of amendments to the pending bill that would better reflect the will of the people.

“Once again, the wishes of the people are being ignored,” said Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.  “The Governor and the Democrats in the Legislature always seem to think that they know better than the people and that the people should just quiet down while laws are passed without their support or consent.  We disagree.”

DeCroce said that the amendments that the Republican Leadership Team will offer will seek to ensure that the most violent criminals remain subject to the most fitting punishment.

“It’s outrageous that the soft-on-crime-Democrats want to coddle sociopath child killers like Jesse Timmendequas who raped and killed 7-year-old Megan Kanka in 1994 and has yet to be punished for his crime,” said Assemblyman Republican Conference Chairman Pete Biondi, R-Somerset and Morris. 

One amendment will stipulate that those who have already been convicted of murder and sentenced to die, remain on death row while a second amendment will retain the death penalty for cop-killers, child-killers, serial killers, and terrorists.  A recent poll found that New Jerseyeans support the death penalty for the perpetrators of these heinous crimes by a overwhelming margin of 78-18 percent.

“For time immemorial, the death penalty has been employed by civilized societies to maintain order and punish the perpetrators of heinous crimes,” said DeCroce.  “It has always and everywhere been regarded as the fitting punishment for criminals who deprive the innocent of their civil right to life and it should remain the law for the most violent and hardened offenders.”

DeCroce and Biondi will offer the amendments along with Republican Whip Jon Bramnick, R-Union and Republican Budget Officer Joseph Malone, R-Burlington.  In the event Democrats vote them down, DeCroce said that they will offer an amendment to place the question of the death penalty before the people in a ballot referendum.

“New Jersey voters have been consistent in their support for the sparing and judicious use of capital punishment and they have a right to be heard at the polls,” DeCroce said.  “With polls showing that a majority of voters favor retaining the death penalty, we’re calling on the Democrats in the Legislature to show some consideration for their wishes.”

Bramnick agreed.  “Unaccountable, lame-duck politicians who are preparing for retirement, shouldn’t be deciding the fate of this law when it could easily be placed on the ballot for the people to consider,” he said. 

Malone also noted that in 1992, voters overwhelmingly amended the State Constitution 73% to 27% to establish their view that the death penalty is neither a cruel nor unusual punishment for murderers.

“It’s simply a specious argument to say that, somehow, after six millennia of recorded history, the punishment no longer fits the crime,” Malone said.

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