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2005 patriot act to expand death penalty Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/nation/13000365.htm http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/nation/13000365.htm Posted on Wed, Oct. 26, 2005 Patriot Act bill would expand death penalty By Dan Eggen Washington Post WASHINGTON – The House bill that would reauthorize the USA Patriot Act anti-terrorism law includes several little-noticed provisions that would dramatically transform the federal death penalty system, allowing smaller juries to decide on executions and giving prosecutors the ability to try again if a jury deadlocks on sentencing. The bill also triples the number of terrorism-related crimes eligible for the death penalty, adding, among others, the material support law that has been the core of the government’s legal strategy against terrorism. The death penalty provisions, which were added to the House bill during a voice vote in July, are emerging as one of the major points of contention between House and Senate negotiators as they begin work on a compromise bill to renew expiring portions of the Patriot Act. If approved, the provisions could have a significant effect on future Justice Department terrorism prosecutions. The Senate version of the bill does not include the death penalty expansions. Senate Democrats argue that the proposals are extraneous to the Patriot Act and should not be approved without fuller debate. Death penalty opponents and defense attorneys also contend that the measures would increase the risk that innocent people could be executed by removing some of the safeguards now in place. The Justice Department has endorsed the provisions and a spokesman for House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., R-Wis., said Tuesday that the proposals were viewed as relatively uncontroversial because they were approved overwhelmingly on the House floor. A Republican staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee said the death penalty issue was “one of several concerns” about the House bill, which also includes fewer restrictions on surveillance and search powers than the Senate version. Under the proposals, 41 new crimes would be added to the 20 terrorism-related offenses now eligible for the federal death penalty. Prosecutors would also find it easier to impose a death sentence in cases in which the defendant did not have the intent to kill.

2005 patriot act to expand death penalty Aclu loses court patriot act Ashcroft pushing patriot 2 { June 12 2003 } Battle heats up over patriot act renewal { December 14 2005 } Boot of the patriot act { May 2 2003 } Bush pushes renewal of patriot act Bush reveals terror plot to pass patriot act { January 2006 } Bush shuns patriot act requirement { March 24 2006 } Companies offer patriot act compliance financial services Constitutional rights champion warns patriot acts danger { October 1 2003 } Fbi can get sensitive reocrds of anybody Groups urge partial lapse of patriot act { March 23 2005 } Guide to the patriot act { September 8 2003 } House and senate strikes deal on patriot act renewal House votes to extent patriot act House will not curb patriot act { July 9 2004 } Hr3162 patriot act [pdf] Judge opposes vagueness in anti terror laws { January 30 2004 } Judge strikes down part of patriot act { September 29 2004 } Justice department says fbi misused patriot act Legislation affects average citizens { December 21 2003 } Libraries post patriot act warnings { March 10 2003 } New court challenge to patriot act { August 6 2003 } No private attorneys to challenge patriot act { September 5 2004 } Patriot act 2 dreadful { February 13 2003 } Patriot act 2 { February 21 2003 } Patriot act abuse compaints documented Patriot act abuses immigrants beaten { July 21 2003 } Patriot act allows judge appointment without consent { February 7 2007 } Patriot act banking rules { October 1 2003 } Patriot act challenges restricted to secret court { August 30 2004 } Patriot act expansion woulnd let fbi bypass courts { May 19 2005 } Patriot act used on strip club { November 5 2003 } Patriot act used to pursue unrelated cases { October 3 2003 } Patriot high treason { July 4 2002 } Republicans oppose provisions in patriot act Senate approves patriot act renewal { March 3 2006 } Senate deal kills extension { May 9 2003 } Senate ends feingold patriot act filibuster { February 2006 } Smorgasbord of investigations Stealth implementation of patriot act ii { January 12 2004 } Strip citizenship { February 9 2003 } Use of statute in corruption case unprecendented { November 5 2003 } Used in 16 year old deportation case { September 23 2003 } VICTORYAct [pdf] Files Listed: 45

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