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Communist Vietnam's secret death penalty conveyor belt: How country trails only China and Iran for 'astonishing' number of executions

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Prisoners are dragged from their cells at 4am without warning to be given a lethal injection Vietnam's use of the death penalty has been thrust into the spotlight after a real estate tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to be executed in one of the biggest corruption cases in the country's history. Truong My Lan, a businesswoman who chaired a sprawling company that developed luxury apartments, hotels, offices and shopping malls, was arrested in 2022.

Bill to eliminate the death penalty heads to Louisiana Senate

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Louisiana's death row
Louisiana's death row
BATON ROUGE, LA (WVUE) - A bill that would eliminate the death penalty in Louisiana will hit the Louisiana State Senate floor Monday afternoon.

The bill cleared a committee last month on a 6-1 vote and Monday the full senate is expected to debate the death penalty at the Capitol.

The bill authored by Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor would eliminate the death penalty as of August 1 of this year.

Capital punishment opponents argue the practice is too costly for the state. Louisiana spent more than $90 million in the last 10 years defending capital cases.

A post-conviction attorney told legislators that judges and juries do not always reach the correct conclusion.

Data shows more than 80-percent of death penalty cases were overturned in the last four decades.

But opponents think it could green light judges to overturn death penalty sentences for convicts currently on death row.

Claitor said the bill is not designed to be used retroactively.

State Representative Terry Landry, (D) New Iberia said now is the time to make a change.

“It is a bad act that has outlived its time economically, morally, and I think it is time for us to turn a course,” Landry said.

But death penalty supporters say there are times when it is the correct punishment.

“There are crimes that are so heinous that I submit to you the death penalty may be the appropriate penalty,” said Ricky Babin, Ascension Parish District Attorney.

Landry, a former superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, is sponsoring a similar bill in the house.

Source: WVUE, May 15, 2017

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