Shma Magazine

October 2002

Former Federal Chief Judge Calls Death Penalty "Legalized Murder"

     Abner J. Mikva, a retired Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, and a former Congressman, recently characterized the death penalty as "legalized murder" and mainly a form of revenge. In an article in Shma Magazine, Mikva stated:

 The more that variations on the theme are scrutinized, the more obvious it is that the real reason for executing people is the oldest of reasons: revenge, anger at the felon, the somewhat flawed interpretation of the biblical "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth." But if that is the real reason for remaining outside the fold of all Western nations who have reformed away the death penalty, then why don't we acknowledge this thorn in our legal system by its appropriate name? We should admit that we engage in legalized murder.

    The edition of Shma Magazine featuring Mikva's comments also contains articles about the death penalty from a Jewish perspective.