Abolishing the Death Penalty in New Jersey

(14 Dec 07 - RV) New Jersey yesterday became the first U.S. state to legislatively abolish the death penalty since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976. Lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled state Assembly voted 44-36 in favour of a bill to scrap the death penalty and substitute it with life in prison without the possibility of parole for those found guilty of the most serious crimes. New Jersey has not executed anyone since 1963. Bishop John Mortimer Fourette Smith of the Diocese of Trenton, NJ, told us more about the significance of the decision.