A new look at the death penalty in Ohio

In this post after last week’s elections, I speculated about whether Ohio’s new governor and attorney general might prompt some new thinking about the death penalty.  This article in the Columbus Dispatch indicates that I am not the only one with such thoughts.  Here are some snippets:

After eight years and 24 executions, Ohio’s death penalty is about to come under closer scrutiny. The challenge usually comes from death-penalty opponents. But this time, it’s likely to come from the newly elected Democratic governor and attorney general.

Both Ted Strickland and Marc Dann question the fairness of not the law but how it’s been applied. During the campaign, Strickland, a former prison psychologist, said he supports capital punishment but is “troubled” by numerous cases in which inmates were exonerated after long stays on Death Row. He told The Dispatch several weeks ago that innocent men could be awaiting capital punishment in Ohio, which is why each case deserves a rigid examination before an execution.

Similarly, Dann said during his primary campaign that he spent a few sleepless nights contemplating his commitment as attorney general to upholding the capital-punishment law.  He advocates a full-blown death penalty study.