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Delaware Moves to Reinstates Death Penalty

DOVER, Del. (AP) - House lawmakers have voted to reinstate Delaware's death penalty.

Tuesday's 24-to-16 vote came amid public outcry over the killing of a correctional officer during a prison riot and hostage-taking in February, and the fatal shooting of a state trooper two weeks ago.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

Under the bill, jurors would have to find unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant should be executed.

The state Supreme Court declared Delaware's death penalty law unconstitutional in August because it allowed judges too much discretion and did not require that a jury find unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant deserves execution.

That ruling came after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Florida's death sentencing law, which was similar to the one in Delaware.

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Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.