Delaware puts capital cases on hold while death-penalty issues are mulled by state supreme court
After a U.S. Supreme Court decision in January that struck down a Florida death-penalty sentencing scheme similar to Delaware’s, the state’s top court has agreed to review questions about whether Delaware’s capital punishment structure is constitutional.
That led to a Monday announcement by Delaware Superior Court President Judge Jan Jurden that all capital cases would be put on hold while the state supreme court is pondering the issues, the Associated Press reports.
An earlier ABAJournal.com post discusses last month’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling. It held that Florida’s capital sentencing structure was unconstitutional because the judge rather than a jury made the final decision.
See also:
Associated Press: “Delaware House rejects legislation to abolish death penalty”
