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| Bill could bring life without parole to Texas |
| By KXAN-TV |
| Published: 03/21/2005 |
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Getting paroled may soon be out of the question for some Texas inmates. Some state lawmakers want to keep inmates locked up for good and have a bill to do it. It's called Senate Bill 60, which calls for a sentence of life without parole. As it is now, a jury can sentence an inmate to the death penalty or to life in prison, but there's a possibility of parole with a life sentence. Senate Bill 60 would close that window of opportunity completely. Paula Kirkland's daughter was murdered in Austin back in 1986. The killer was executed. Still that hasn't stopped Kirkland from supporting other victims. She's in favor of Senate Bill 60. "Life doesn't mean life, and it should," Kirkland said. "There have been too many people released from prison who have been allowed the privilege to kill again." Opponents of the bill believe that if it eventually passes, some juries may not want to sentence people to death. Some also say it pushes Texas one step closer to abolishing the death penalty. As it is now, 47 states in the nation have life-without-parole sentences available. The three others -- Texas, Alaska and New Mexico -- don't. In Texas, a life sentence means an inmate is eligible for parole in 40 years. Defense attorney Steve Brittain has worked both as a prosecutor and a defense attorney. "Many times, a death sentence is being considered by a jury when they really don't want to give the death penalty," Brittain said. "They simply want to remove the person from living in society. This legislation would clarify that." The bill passed on a 4-2 vote in the criminal justice committee and now heads to the Senate floor for even more debate. |
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