A Kentucky pros­e­cu­tor raised reli­gious objec­tions to the death penal­ty in ask­ing to step aside in the case of two men charged with mur­der. J. Stewart Schneider, the com­mon­wealth’s attor­ney in Boyd County in north­east­ern Kentucky, said Thursday he filed his motion to with­draw from the case after reflec­tions at a reli­gious retreat. Schneider also is a min­is­ter with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

​“I spent that week­end in prayer,” he said. ​“The more I thought about it, the more con­vinced I became that for me to make the deci­sions in ask­ing for a penal­ty … I would be speak­ing con­trary to my call­ing. I would not be speak­ing Gospel, but would rather be speak­ing as a pros­e­cu­tor. And I don’t know that I can do both things, that I can wear two hats in that case.”

Kentucky’s Attorney General, Greg Stumbo, will appoint a spe­cial pros­e­cu­tor.

Schneider said that with use of the death penal­ty, ​“we ter­mi­nate God’s oppor­tu­ni­ty to work” to change lives. ​“Even mur­der­ers can be redeemed,” he said. (Associated Press, June 11, 2004). See New Voices.

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