Lawmaker wrong on death penalty

How could Assemblyman James Ohrenschall have advocated for abolishing the death penalty? He stated in his guest column of March 29 (“Nevada should end death penalty”) that the penalty is unfair, costly and ineffective.

But how fair was it for the victims of those convicted of a capital offense? How fair is it for those victims’ families? I’d add that the $500,000 additional cost of a death penalty case as opposed to a noncapital murder case is a good investment. I am sure there is room to cut that figure. After all, since when does the state worry about spending or taxing?

What is ineffective is when justice is delayed or denied. These death penalty cases go for decades, but if would-be killers knew they would meet a timely execution, they wise up quickly.

Presently, there are 80 inmates on death row in Nevada. This is a disgrace to the judicial system. These criminals have been adjudicated over and over. Any wrongful conviction had to have been discovered. Ardelle Bellman, Las Vegas