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March 18, 2013

Maryland Lawmakers Approve Death Penalty Ban 
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State lawmakers in Maryland have given final approval to a ban on the
death penalty. The measure would replace death sentences with life terms
without the chance of parole. Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley is
expected to sign it into law next month, making Maryland the 18th state
to ban executions. In a statement, Benjamin Jealous of the NAACP, which
helped lead a grassroots effort for the bill's passage, said: "Today we
accomplished a milestone that [we have] worked toward for more than a
century. ... Tomorrow we will wake up in a state where we will never
again have to worry if someone is put to death because of their color,
class, or in spite of their innocence."

 

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