WASHINGTON-Congressional lawmakers on both sides of the death penalty on Wednesday renewed their call for greater protections for defendants in capital cases.
The group of Republicans and Democrats unveiled a bill similar to one introduced last year. It widens defendants’ access to DNA testing that could prove their innocence and aims to ensure they are represented by qualified attorneys.
The lawmakers tinkered with the original legislation to address concerns it would have allowed too much federal meddling in what is primarily a state issue, since the majority of death-row cases are prosecuted in state, not federal, courts.
The bill provides incentives for states to reform their justice systems. It does not call for a moratorium on executions.
