> A moratorium would be placed on Ohios death penalty while a special
> committee studied its fairness under a bill introduced Tuesday by a
> group of minority Democrats in the House.
>
> The proposal, which has 16 Democratic co-sponsors, faces an uncertain
> future in the House, where Republican Speaker Jo Ann Davidson said
> such a review might not be necessary.
>
> The bill, introduced by Rep. Shirley Smith, a Cleveland Democrat, would
> require the governor and the Legislature to appoint a Capital Punishment
> Review Commission. It would determine if the death penalty is fairly
> applied. The panel also could make recommendations on any changes
> necessary in Ohio law if it found an innocent person could be executed.
>
> Davidson said executions in Ohio have not returned with the frequency
> of some states that are reviewing death penalty cases to take into
> account newly developed DNA evidence technology.
>
> "We have a fairly long process in Ohio in reviewing them," Davidson of
> Reynoldsburg said.
>
> Ohio has executed just one inmate since 1963. Wilford Berry died by
> lethal injection in 1999 after dropping appeals of his conviction in a
> murder case.
>
> Gov. Bob Taft had not seen the bill and his office had no comment on
> it, spokeswoman Laura Jones said.
>
> (source: Associated Press)
>
