Benton’s bill to make child killers face the death penalty receives public hearing

February 22, 2007

OLYMPIA…A bill by Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, which makes premeditated murder of a child a death penalty case, received a public hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. 

Benton’s bill, Senate Bill 5706, applies to victims age 14 and younger. Benton introduced an identical measure in 2006, and has the backing of Clark County Prosecutor Art Curtis. 

Crimes subject to the death penalty in Washington are defined as aggravated first-degree murder and are enumerated in the state’s criminal code. Among the crimes listed are killing a law enforcement officer or firefighter in the line of duty, killing a news reporter to suppress a story, killing someone for membership in an identifiable group, and being paid to kill someone. 

Benton said killing a child is one of the worst crimes imaginable and should be defined as aggravated first-degree murder. 

“Prosecutors should not have to jump through hoops to prove this despicable crime falls in the category of ‘aggravated,’ it should just be the law.” 

Tom McBride, from the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, testified in favor of the bill, saying that it would be hard to argue that anyone already on the list deserves greater protection than children. 

A representative of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers testified against the bill – primarily because it expands the death penalty. 

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 Additional contact Penny Drost at (360) 786-7522
or penny.drost@leg.wa.gov