New Jersey bans death penalty, UN copies
On Dec. 17, Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine signed legislation abolishing the death penalty in New Jersey, making it the first state to do so in over 40 years. Other states that came close this year include New Mexico, Montana and Nebraska. The eight people who were on NJ’s death-row now get life-imprisonment without parole. The bill was approved by a vote of 22-13 by the Sente on Dec. 10, and then 44-36 by the NJ Assembly on Dec. 13. NJ is now the 14th state to ban capital punishment, thereby extending the northeast life-zone that includes New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, as well as the DIstrict of Columbia. Maryland lost by a single vote this year.
The next day, Dec. 18, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution for a death penalty moratorium, third time’s the charm, as previous votes in 1999 and 1994 failed. Technically, the resolution is non-binding, but it does reflect the global sentiment, which has an indirect effect on policy making. It was hailed as "a bold step by the internation community" by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The vote passed by a vote of 104-54 with 29 abstentions, among those who opposed: China, Singapore, Iran, and somewhat ironically US.
New Jersey: A Death Penalty Trend?, Time.com
Executions in U.S. Decline to 13-Year Low, Study Finds, NYT.com
UN General Assembly OKs Resolution Calling for Death Penalty Moratorium, FoxNews.com