New Orleans Representative Kyle Green has filled a bill that would eliminate the death penalty for the offenses of first-degree murder, rape, and treason. An attorney himself, Green says his reasoning starts at one place.
“The death penalty is a punishment that is irreversible,” said Green. “That’s the number one issue.”
Research has shown a startling number of errors when it comes to applying the death penalty. Since 1973, at least 185 cases of wrongful conviction and sentencing have been discovered across the U-S.
“It just doesn’t sit well with me when we look at the history of the state and how we have repeatedly found that individuals who have been sentenced to death were later found to be exonerated,” he said.
The last execution in Louisiana was in 2010 when Gerald Bordelon dropped all appeals in order to receive a lethal injection. Bordelon kidnapped and killed his 12-year-old step-daughter. He is the only person to be executed in Louisiana since 2002. Green shelved similar legislation due to the pandemic in 2020 and says the issue deserves thoughtful consideration by lawmakers.
“I think the chances are 50-50, to get it out, but I do think it’s something that we as a state, as a legislative body, ought to consider,” he said. “Whether this is something that we want to keep.”
Louisiana is one of 24 states that still utilize capital punishment.
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