The US state of Maryland is poised to abolish the death penalty after its lawmakers voted 82 to 56 in favour of the move.
The vote took place in the Maryland House of Delegates in the state
capital, Annapolis. 80 Democrats and 2 Republicans voted for the
bill, which needed 71 votes to pass. 18 Democrats joined 38
Republicans to vote against it.
Maryland has had the death penalty since 1638 when the territory was a British colony.However, the state has neither sentenced anyone to death nor executed a prisoner since 2005.
However,opponents of the bill insisted capital punishment was a necessary tool to punish those who commit the most serious crimes
Note
Connecticut became the 17th state to repeal the death penalty in April 2012, meaning more than a third of the 50 states have now renounced executions.
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