Politics

Martin O’Malley Rails Against Death Penalty After Boston Bomber Verdict

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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Martin O’Malley, the former Democratic governor of Maryland considering a run for president as the liberal alternative to Hillary Clinton, responded to the news that Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be executed by articulating his opposition to the death penalty.

O’Malley, in a statement, said, “I respect the verdict of the jury,” but “I nonetheless remain opposed to the death penalty as a matter of principle and as a matter of policy.”

“The death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent, and the appeals process is expensive and cruel to the surviving family members,” O’Malley said. “Furthermore, the nations responsible for the vast majority of public executions include North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, China and the United States of America. Our country does not belong in that company.”

A federal jury on Friday sentenced Tsarnaev to death for his role in the 2013 bombings of the Boston Marathon.

“I respect the verdict of the jury in this callous and brutal taking of innocent lives in Boston,” O’Malley added. “All of our prayers should go out to the victims, their families and loved ones, for the cruel taking of innocent lives. I hope he never is able to enjoy a moment of freedom.”

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