Denver District Attorney Beth McCann on Colorado’s Death-Penalty Repeal

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12:01 The Death Penalty in Context

In the April 2020 episode of Discussions with DPIC, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann (pic­tured) speaks with Death Penalty Information Center Executive Director Robert Dunham about Colorado’s repeal of cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment. McCann was elect­ed DA in 2016, as part of a nation­wide wave of reform-ori­ent­ed pros­e­cu­tors. Both as pros­e­cu­tor and in her eight years in the Colorado leg­is­la­ture, McCann has advo­cat­ed for broad crim­i­nal jus­tice reforms, includ­ing the abo­li­tion of the death penal­ty. In her dis­cus­sion with Dunham, she describes the major soci­etal shift away from cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment, Colorado’s efforts at abo­li­tion, and the role of pros­e­cu­tors in shaping change.

Read the tran­script here.

Denver District Attorney Beth McCann on Colorado’s Death-Penalty Repeal | Death Penalty Information Center

News Brief — Colorado House Votes to Abolish Death Penalty

NEWS (2/​26/​20): The Colorado leg­is­la­ture has sent to the Governor a bill that would prospec­tive­ly abol­ish the state’s death penal­ty. On February 26, 2020, one day after a marathon 12-hour debate on the floor of the House, the Colorado House of Representatives vot­ed 38 – 27 to pass SB 20 – 100 to repeal the state’s cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment statute. The Senate had pre­vi­ous­ly approved the leg­is­la­tion on January 30.

Governor Jared Polis has ten days to sign the bill into law or to veto it. The Governor has pre­vi­ous­ly indi­cat­ed that will sign. Upon sign­ing, Colorado would become the 22nd state to abol­ish cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment, and the tenth since 2004.