The Virginia General Assembly defied Gov. Tim Kaine and overrode his veto of bills allowing killers of witnesses and judges to be executed.
The House of Delegates voted 83-16 to override Kaine. The Senate vote was 30-10.
“An attack on a police officer is an attack on our justice system,” said Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, the sponsor of the legislation. “If one innocent person can be protected, it is worth it. Witnesses are the very symbol of our legal system.”
Scores of Democrats voted for the measures during this year’s session and did not change their minds to support the Democratic governor.
“I have tremendous respect for Gov. Kaine’s strong, faith-based objection to the death penalty,” said Del. Brian Moran, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. “As a former prosecutor, I strongly believe that the highest penalties in our commonwealth should be available for the most heinous crimes. Those that directly enable murder for hire, that kill a judge or witness in a criminal case, or those that assist in terrorism are dangers to our society and warrant the maximum sentence available.”
Kaine, a devout Catholic, also vetoed a bill that would have eliminated the state law that allows only the individual who inflicts the fatal blow to be tried for capital murder. Kaine considered both expansions unnecessary because they would not increase Virginians’ safety and the commonwealth already ranks among the nation’s leaders in executions.
Kaine said he was not surprised that his veto of the judge-and-witness bill was overridden. He felt good that the Senate sustained his veto of the measure allowing accomplices to be put to death.
“In the past, every expansion of the death penalty bill would be passed by strong veto-proof margins,” Kaine said. “That they sustained my veto is apositive thing.”
Supporters of the bill argued that without it, criminal masterminds such as Charles Manson could not face execution even if they are responsible for multiple murders because they didn’t perform the physical act of killing a person.
