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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Ruth
A. Myers |
State Rep. Jaret Gibbons |
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Gibbons proposes grant program to help counties pay
for death-penalty cases
HARRISBURG, March 6 – Prosecuting a capital murder case is a drain on the resources of any county prosecutor’s office, and can physically exhaust those responsible for working toward a guilty verdict. But at an average cost of $50,000 per case, it can quickly deplete financial resources, as well.
State Rep. Jaret Gibbons is seeking co-sponsors for a bill he is drafting that would create a grant program to reimburse fourth- through eighth-class counties in Pennsylvania for the cost of prosecuting a capital murder case.
“Larger counties have the financial resources to handle multiple capital murder cases in a fiscal year,” Gibbons said. “But in smaller counties, a single death-penalty case is a serious financial burden that could exhaust the funding set aside for such cases and force a county to raise property taxes.
The justice system needs to be able to function without consideration of how much a case might cost. These cases require that prosecutors leave no stone unturned. It costs money to screen jurors, send evidence to be tested in laboratories, and bring in expert witnesses. And that’s just the first time around. A lengthy appeals process or a possible retrial increases the costs exponentially.” Gibbons said the legislation has not been finalized yet, but he envisions a program set up through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to award grants two times a year.
“I want comments and I am open to suggestions from those who are involved in the legal system at the county level, so that we can make this process as easy as possible for those counties that need the assistance,” Gibbons said. ”I’m introducing the legislation now, but I want to make sure that it's done right. I want to get input from local prosecutors and make sure that their views are considered in this process as we move forward.”
Gibbons said anyone who wants to send him comments on the bill can contact him through his Web site at www.pahouse.com/Gibbons.
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Attention Radio News Directors: an actuality from Rep. Gibbons is available by calling 1-800-452-3001. Enter PA10 (7-2-10) and the pound sign (#) at the menu prompt to get today’s sound. You can also download the sound in .mp3 format by visiting www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.