COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A report by an anti-death penalty
group criticizes the selectiveness of Ohio’s capital punishment law,
saying death sentences owe as much to an individual prosecutor’s
philosophy as the nature of the crime.
The analysis by Ohioans to
Stop Executions says Cuyahoga County, with the most capital indictments
in the state, once charged numerous individuals with death penalty
counts each year but now charges very few.
The report released
Wednesday notes a similar trend in Franklin County, while pointing out
that Hamilton County indicts few individuals but has a high
death-sentence rate because it won’t accept plea bargains in capital
cases.
The report also highlights the role of race, noting that
two of every three Ohio death sentences since 1981 involved the killing
of a white victim.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A report by an anti-death penalty
group criticizes the selectiveness of Ohio’s capital punishment law,
saying death sentences owe as much to an individual prosecutor’s
philosophy as the nature of the crime.
The analysis by Ohioans to
Stop Executions says Cuyahoga County, with the most capital indictments
in the state, once charged numerous individuals with death penalty
counts each year but now charges very few.
The report released
Wednesday notes a similar trend in Franklin County, while pointing out
that Hamilton County indicts few individuals but has a high
death-sentence rate because it won’t accept plea bargains in capital
cases.
The report also highlights the role of race, noting that
two of every three Ohio death sentences since 1981 involved the killing
of a white victim.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.