TRENTON – A senator who wants to restore the death penalty in certain cases reiterated his cause in the wake of the killing of a 2-year-old girl.
Sen. Robert Singer, (R-30), of Lakewood, who introduced his bill S2674 in January following the killing of a police officer in his town, pointed out that the killer of Tierra Morgan-Glover could have faced the death penalty if his bill had been enacted.
Singer’s bill, among other things, would restore capital punishment when the victims are police officers, under 18, or victims of terrorist attacks.
“I do not support the death penalty out of a need for revenge or due to malice in my heart,” Singer said in a release. “Neither do the many individuals I have met who have suffered from heinous crimes.
“I support the death penalty because sometimes it is the only way to achieve justice for the victims and families affected by horrible crimes.”
Singer noted that his legislation would apply to the man who drowned his 2-year-old daughter, still strapped in her weighted down car seat, while conscious and alert.
Arthur E. Morgan III faces charges that he attached a car jack to the car seat of his daughter to weigh it down, then tossed her into a stream, a prosecutor said in court Monday.
“I am well aware that the death penalty will not bring back a murdered child, slain police officer or a victim of terrorism,” Singer said. “For certain crimes, however, life in prison is just not punishment enough.”
However, since its introduction, there has been little action on the bill. During budget veto override sessions in July, Singer sought to have a floor vote on his bill, but it failed.
There is an Assembly version, A3814, in the Judiciary Committee.
The state’s death penalty was repealed in December 2007.
Previous coverage:
Singer to Dems: Open your hearts and reinstate death penalty
