Chicago Criminal Attorney Comments on Legislation to Restore the Death Penalty

This Chicago criminal defense attorney has posted here, about the Illinois death penalty moratorium, now it appears your legislators in Springfield think the death penalty should come back.

House Bill 5912:

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961 relating to first degree murder. Adds and eliminates aggravating factors for which the death penalty may be imposed. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Eliminates provision that abolishes the sentence of death. Enacts the Capital Crimes Litigation Act of 2012. Provides that all unobligated and unexpended moneys remaining in the Death Penalty Abolition Fund on the effective date of the amendatory Act shall be transferred into the Capital Litigation Trust Fund.

Three things to consider:

Capital punishment is almost never a deterrent to crime

Civilized People don't kill other people

After a sentence of death, there are extraordinary litigation expenses, borne by taxpayers, by the condemned to appeal.

Can we really afford to reinstate capital punishment here in the land of Lincoln?