Sen. James Ohrenschall, D-Las Vegas, on Monday introduced a bill that would eliminate the death penalty in Nevada. SB228 was referred to the Judiciary Committee for study. Existing law in Nevada maintains the death penalty for only one crime — first degree murder. To impose the death penalty, the jury must separately find that the defendant committed two or more aggravating circumstances that warrant execution. SB228 would take effect upon passage and approval. However, it does not lift the death penalty from those inmates in the Nevada State Prison who have already been sentenced to death row. There are currently 74 men on Nevada’s death row. The state doesn’t have any women on death row. Since the death penalty was restored in 1976, Nevada has executed 12 inmates.
