Religious Leaders Call for End to Death Penalty

Calling it the just and moral thing to do, dozens of religious leaders gathered in Hartford Tuesday to petition the General Assembly to repeal Connecticut’s death penalty law.

“There are times when sometimes we have theological debates about things in which we disagree, however when it comes to the death penalty this is one item that members of major denominations agree, there is consensus that the death penalty should be abolished,” said State Rep. Bruce Morris, D-Norwalk, who hosted Tuesday's proceedings and is also a minister.

The interfaith leaders gathered in the Legislative Office Building to give Morris and State Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, D-New Haven, a letter signed by more than 300 clergy supporting passage of House Bill 5036, a bill introduced by Holder-Winfield that would abolish Connecticut’s death penalty. Speakers advocated replacing the state’s capital punishment law with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of release for the state’s most violent convicted murderers.

“As people of faith," the letter stated, "we reaffirm our opposition to the death penalty and belief in the sacredness of human life.  We urge you, our elected officials, to examine the reality of Connecticut’s death penalty and seek ways to achieve true healing for those who suffer because of violent crime. Please support repeal of the death penalty. It is time for Connecticut to move beyond this broken and harmful system.”

Holder-Winfield said he expected the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee to vote on the bill within a week. He said he expected the bill to pass, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to sign it into law. 

“The work that I’m doing on the death penalty comes out of both my religious faith and my sense for justice,” Holder-Winfield said.

The death penalty has always been a hot button issue in Connecticut, but has risen in prominence in the past several years due to the brutal 2007 Cheshire home invasion which resulted in the murder of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. 

One man, Steven Hayes, 47, was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to death, while co-defendant Joshua Komisarjevsky, is currently on trial for the same crime. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Komisarjevsky. 

If the law is repealed, it would not have an affect on Hayes' conviction or Komisarjevsky's sentence, if he is found guilty in his upcoming trial.