Indiana Bill Would Raise Minimum Age for Execution to 16
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana permits execution of criminals as young as 10, but the minimum age would be raised to 16 under a bill approved today by the state Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bill, already passed by the House, now goes to the full Senate. Republican Sen. William Vobach told the committee that he hopes to amend the legislation on the Senate floor to raise the age to 18.
Democratic Rep. Earline Rogers, sponsor of the bill, said she would not oppose an increase to 18.
Opposing the bill were spokesmen for Protect the Innocent, a crime victims’ lobby.
Henry Karlson, a lobby spokesman and law professor in Indianapolis, said the law is fine as is, but that if changed at all the age should be 15, the age at which children are allowed to decide whether to have an abortion without parental consent.
Karlson said Paula Cooper, on Indiana’s Death Row for a murder she committed at age 16, is a racist torture-murderer who deserves to die.
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