TEXAS, PRIMO PASSO VERSO MORATORIA

  - WASHINGTON, 12 APR - Il Texas, roccaforte della penadi morte negli Stati Uniti, potrebbe adottare una moratoria didue anni delle esecuzioni. Un primo passo in tal senso e' statocompiuto da una commissione del senato statale. Ma la strada dapercorrere e' lunga e piena di ostacoli. La commissione della giustizia penale ha approvato duedisegni di legge: uno per proclamare una moratoria e un altroper creare una commissione indipendente incaricata di studiarel'equanimita' dell'applicazione della pena capitale. Lo stato capitale della pena di morte e' finito nel mirinodegli abolizionisti durante la campagna elettorale per la CasaBianca dell'ex governatore George W. Bush, criticato soprattuttoper non aver garantito una difesa adeguata ai condannati poverie per l'alto numero di minorati mentali messi a morte. La decisione della commissione passa ora al senato, che deveapprovare la proposta in seduta plenaria prima che ilprovvedimento raggiunga la camera bassa. Lo scoglio piu' grossopotrebbe venire alla fine, quando i disegni di legge arrivinosulla scrivania del governatore Rick Perry per la firma. Perry e' contrario alla moratoria. ''Il governatore e'convinto che il sistema funziona bene. C'e' sempre spazio permigliorarlo, ma una moratoria della pena di morte non rientra inquesto spazio'', ha detto il suo assistente, Gene Acuna. La legislatura potrebbe annullare il veto del governatore, maper farlo avra' bisogno di una maggioranza di due terzi deirappresentanti. Difficile? ''Certo, dice Maurie Levin, unavvocato che fa parte di un gruppo di difensori di condannati amorte in Texas. ''Ma non si sa mai - ha aggiunto - e' gia' unmiracolo che la proposta e' passata in commissione

Texas Steps Toward Death Penalty Referendum

By JIM YARDLEYHOUSTON, April 11 - In a surprising vote in the state that leads thenation in putting inmates to death, a committee in the TexasLegislature today endorsed a resolution that would allow voters todecide whether to impose a two- year moratorium on executions whilean independent commission examined the fairness of the capitalpunishment system. The vote by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee comes aslegislators are considering a host of death penalty changes, partlyin response to the intensive and critical scrutiny of the state'scapital punishment in last year's presidential campaign of Gov.George W. Bush. Texas was criticized for failing to provideadequate legal counsel for poor defendants, for executing mentallyretarded defendants and for a clemency process shrouded in secrecy. "No Texan wants to be a party to the execution of an innocent manor woman," Senator Eliot Shapleigh, a Democrat from El Paso whosponsored the bill, said in a statement. The committee vote is only a first step. The resolution must nowpass the Senate, then the House and receive the signature of Gov.Rick Perry. Mr. Perry's aide, Gene Acuna, said this afternoon that thegovernor opposed a moratorium and would not likely sign a bill.Legislators could override the governor with a two-thirds majorityvote, Mr. Acuna said. "The governor believes that the criminal justice system is good,and there are ways to improve it, but a moratorium of the deathpenalty in Texas is not one of them," Mr. Acuna said. Mr. Acuna cited a law recently signed by Mr. Perry allowingcriminal defendants and inmates access to DNA testing as an exampleof the improvements the governor favored. For years, Texas voters have overwhelmingly supported capitalpunishment. But recent polls also have revealed that a majority ofTexans supported the concept of a moratorium so that the fairnessof the system could be examined. Polls also showed that a majorityof Texans believe that an innocent person has been executed. Mr. Shapleigh noted that the committee actually approved two billstoday, one to establish the commission to "fix what we nowrecognize as flaws," another to call for a moratorium vote. It isnot yet certain when the bills will be voted on by the full Senate.Maurie Levin, a lawyer with Texas Defender Service, a group thatrepresents capital defendants, said the committee vote wasstartling and seemed to suggest some shifting in attitudes amonglegislators. "It's tremendous," she said. "It's a recognition of all theproblems in the system that have been exposed over the past year."Asked to assess the chances of passing both chambers, Ms. Levinadded: "I don't know. I don't think we would have ever thought itwould get out of committee."