Huge News! Supreme Court Overturns Judge-Imposed Death Sentences. Dozens of death verdicts are overturned. This may affect over 150 Cases. It was a 7-2 ruling. Five states, including Colorado, allowed sentencing in death cases to be determined by the Judge instead of the jury that convicted the defendant. The high court confirmed that this violates the defendant's constitutional right to a trial by jury. We're on a roll! Read the Full Opinion Here .

The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty gives high praise to today's Supreme Court ruling . A quote: ìThe Supreme Court has recognized that executing mentally retarded people violates the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society,î said NCADP Executive Director Steven W. Hawkins. ìThe next step for the court should be to apply the same, exact standard to the execution of youthful offenders.î

Check out the Press Release from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers on last week's Supreme Court ruling in Atkins v. Virginia prohibiting the application of the death penalty to mentally retarded persons. President Irwin Schwartz predicts ultimate abolition!

From the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar: (a quote on fiscal reasons not to have a death penalty)

"The cost of the death penalty has been found to be $2.16 million over the cost of a non-death penalty sentence of life imprisonment. On a national basis these figures translate to over $1 billion dollars spent since 1976 on the death penalty.

In Colorado it is estimated that approximately 50 million dollars has been spent in seeking the death penalty against Colorado prisoners in the last 26 years. That amounts to nearly $17 million for each of the two currently valid death sentences and one execution in Colorado."

Stay tuned, more reactions will be coming.