BASTA CON MORATORIA, GOVERNATORE MARYLAND

WASHINGTON, 17 NOV - Il governatore eletto del Maryland, un repubblicano, Robert Ehrlich, si da' una priorita' chiara: ''Basta con la moratoria nelle esecuzioni della pena di morte'', che il suo predecessore democratico aveva deciso e metteva in atto.

Le revoca della moratoria significherebbe che almeno sette condannati alla pena capitale potrebbero essere messi a morte nel Maryland nel 2003, anche se Ehrlich s'impegna a valutare ogni caso su base individuale.

Il Maryland e l'Illinois sono i due Stati che hanno sospeso le esecuzioni dopo che dubbi sono nati su come le condanne a morte vengono inflitte. Il governatore uscente del Maryland Parris Glendening s'era detto, in particolare, turbato per la sproporzione fra i neri condannati rispetto ai bianchi, oltre che da alcuni casi di condanne rivelatesi, grazie alla prova del Dna, errori giudiziari.

Nelle elezioni del 5 novembre, Ehrlich ha sconfitto, a sorpresa, in uno Stato fortemente democratico, una Kennedy, Katreen Townsend Kennedy, attualmente vice-governatore.

MARYLAND: New Md. Gov. to Lift Execution Ban

Following through on a campaign promise, Gov.-elect Robert Ehrlich said he will lift Maryland's moratorium on the death penalty immediately after taking office in January. Lifting the ban Gov. Parris Glendening declared in May could mean as many as 7 inmates would be executed in Ehrlich's 1st year in office. Ehrlich, who made the announcement Friday, said the governor should review the case of each person on death row individually, rather than issuing a blanket moratorium. Death penalty opponents said they will try to persuade Ehrlich to wait to lift the moratorium until the legislative session ends in April.

 Maryland and Illinois have halted executions because of doubts about the fairness of the death penalty. Glendening said he was troubled by claims that black killers of white victims are disproportionately sentenced to death. Most Maryland murder victims are black, but all 13 men on the state's death row were sentenced to die for killing whites.

 Glendening commissioned a study of state murder prosecutions to look for evidence of racial bias. The results are due in late December. 6 of 10 people shot to death in last month's Washington, D.C., area sniper attacks were killed in Maryland. But suspects John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo are expected to be tried 1st in Virginia, site of 3 of the shooting deaths, because that state is considered more likely to impose the death penalty.