Cleo Fields: “What this amendment simply would do is not take out, it would not take out the sentence of death, as much as I would…”

“What this amendment simply would do is not take out, it would not take out the sentence of death, as much as I would want to do that, but it would maintain that language, but it would add to, to give the jury and the court the opportunity of not only being able to recommend a sentence of death but give them the option to either recommend a sentence of death or a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of release. That is all the amendment does. Now, philosophically, I am very strongly and adamantly opposed to capital punishment, but it does not do away with capital punishment in the bill. But I do think if we leave the bill as it is in its present form, we will have a bill that would give the judge and would give the jury no option whatsoever. Due to the fact that many of the people who are victims of capital punishment are the people who do not have capital, many times he who does not have the capital normally get punished. So this amendment certainly gives us an opportunity to give the judge and the jury the option of either imposing capital punishment or giving a person life in prison without parole.”