US EditionDefendants argue to state’s high court that a Pennsylvania DA has been misusing the death penalty
WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, JUL 22 – Since 2021, Washington County DA Jason Walsh has filed capital charges in 11 of 18 homicide cases, raising concerns of unjustified death penalty use, attorneys say.
- Two men accused of homicide in Washington County asked Pennsylvania's Supreme Court on Tuesday to limit the county DA's pursuit of the death penalty.
- The petition follows accusations that DA Jason Walsh uses the death penalty excessively, pressuring defendants and misapplying aggravating factors, notably in a case involving a 2-month-old boy's death.
- Washington County accounts for 26% of state death penalty cases despite having less than 2% of Pennsylvania's population, and the petition requests outside review of all capital cases since Walsh took office in 2021.
- Walsh, a Republican appointed in 2021, stated that prosecutors are allowed to pursue the death penalty when the law permits it, and he characterized the petition as a desperate move from a liberal think tank.
- The petition urges the court to oversee Walsh's capital case decisions, reflecting concerns about strained defense funding and calls for judicial safeguards against arbitrary death penalty use.
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Washington County DA accused of misusing death penalty
HARRISBURG — Two men accused of homicide and facing a potential death sentence if convicted asked Pennsylvania's highest court Tuesday to restrict a county prosecutor's pursuit of the death penalty, accusing him of misusing it to pressure defendants into guilty pleas or get them to turn state's evidence. The two defendants filed a petition before the state Supreme Court that suggests a range of actions to limit Washington County District Attorne…
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Defendants argue to state's high court that a Pennsylvania DA has been misusing the death penalty
Two men accused of homicide in Pennsylvania are asking the state Supreme Court to limit a prosecutor's use of the death penalty.
·United States
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Total News Sources13
Leaning Left6Leaning Right0Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left, 50% Center
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- 50% of the sources lean Left, 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 50%
C 50%
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