New Jersey’s Abolition of the Death Penalty

By: Michael M. Shapiro

With recent polls showing more than half of the residents of New Jersey support the death penalty, it was a bit surprising to see the Legislature abolish it and the Governor concur. In support of its abolition, there are the moral and religious issues that one should never kill another human being. Also, studies show that the financial cost of maintaining the death penalty surpasses the cost of life imprisonment and that such punishment does not serve much of a deterrent purpose. Since New Jersey had not executed anyone in over thirty years, the death penalty had basically already been abolished in this State. However, putting that aside, is justice being done? Arguably for horrific violent crimes, it may be suggested that justice is being denied.

Granted, we do not live in an eye-for-an-eye society, but when it comes to particularly violent crimes, should the criminal be allowed to live his life when he has denied another theirs? A good case in point is that of Megan Kanka. Jesse Timmendequas, a repeat violent sex offender, kidnapped, raped and murdered 7-year-old Megan Kanka. The national outcry that this case caused resulted in the passage of Megan’s Law, an attempt to protect communities from sexual predators. With the abolishment of the death penalty, Mr. Timmendequas will now serve life in prison without any fear of execution.

Innocent Megan Kanka never lived to see her 8^th birthday, yet murderers like Timmendequas will celebrate many more birthdays. Has justice been served? Granted, he is not a free man and prison life is no picnic, but does the punishment fit the crime? What kind of message is being sent when it would seem that the victim’s life is not valued as highly as the murderer’s?

What do you think about the abolition of the death penalty in New Jersey? Is justice being served? Email me at mike@shaptalk.com

Michael M. Shapiro, founder of ShapTalk.com, is an attorney who resides in New Providence, New Jersey. He currently serves as the Editor of The Alternative Press, www.thealternativepress.com Contact Mike at mike@shaptalk.com