Senate votes to raise minimum age for death penalty

April 29, 2005

CONCORD, N.H. -- The Senate voted with little discussion Thursday to raise the minimum execution age in New Hampshire from 17 to 18.

The 16 -8 vote to send the bill to the governor largely was symbolic because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled March 1that executing juvenile criminals is unconstitutional.

The Legislature had voted last year to raise the age, but then-Gov. Craig Benson vetoed the bill.

New Hampshire has not executed anyone since 1939, but capital punishment was pushed into the spotlight when a federal judge in Massachusetts ordered convicted carjacker Gary Sampson to be executed in the state.

------

Information from: The Union Leader, http://www.theunionleader.com

PRINTER FRIENDLY

E-MAIL TO A FRIEND