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Article: Police Killing Sparks Debate on Death Penalty in New York
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- March 24, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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The killing of a New York police officer has triggered a
politically charged confrontation between Gov. George E. Pataki (R)
and the district attorney of the Bronx about whether the death
penalty is an effective and appropriate weapon to deter violent
crime.
Pataki raised the stakes dramatically Thursday when he invoked
a rarely used gubernatorial power to remove Bronx District Attorney
Robert T. Johnson as prosecutor of an ex-convict accused in the
police killing. Pataki said he was convinced Johnson would not seek
the death penalty. Johnson, who was elected district attorney in
1989, said Pataki was disenfranchising Bronx residents and vowed to
fight his removal in the courts.
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