Post by Anja Nieser on Oct 1, 2006 5:48:51 GMT -5
Murder prosecutors proposed
With the prison that houses the state's death row as a backdrop,
Republican attorney general candidate Ferris Wharton proposed Tuesday
setting up a special homicide unit within the Department of Justice.
Mr. Wharton, who is battling Democrat Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III for the
office, said the move would lead to better prosecution for homicides and
other cases.
Currently, he said, homicide cases are given to deputy attorneys general
who are also handling rapes and other serious crimes.
While a deputy is prosecuting a murder case, Mr. Wharton said, their other
cases take a backseat.
A special unit would prevent those cases from losing priority because the
prosecutors handling them would not be diverted to murder trials.
"We know that murder is the most serious crime there is," Mr. Wharton said
during a news conference at the Delaware Correctional Center.
"We know that murder cases are the most serious cases there are because
there is no second chance for murder victims.
"A murder trial is a very consuming thing. Sometimes they take a month,
sometimes two, sometimes more."
Brian K. Kisner, whose mother was murdered in her Kenton home in 1986 by
escaped DCC inmate David Dawson, spoke highly of the plan and Mr. Wharton
at Tuesday's news conference.
Mr. Wharton, the top deputy attorney general in Kent County at the time,
prosecuted the case and attended the April 2001 execution with Mr. Kisner.
"When my mother was murdered, Ferris Wharton stepped in and fought for us
like we were his own family," said Mr. Kisner, a Dover resident.
"His talent, experience and tenacity helped bring my mother's cold-blooded
killer to justice."
Mr. Wharton, who spent 25 years as a state and federal prosecutor, said
the unit would have three or four prosecutors assigned to it.
Delaware averages 30 homicides a year, he said, most in New Castle County.
"Over the years I've successfully prosecuted some of Delaware's most
brutal killers such as Tom Capano and David Dawson," Mr. Wharton said.
"Getting a conviction isn't easy. It not only takes experience and
ability, it takes focus. That's why we need a homicide unit."
Mr. Biden, who has proposed setting up special units to deal with child
predators and identity theft, said a homicide unit would need more than
prosecutors specifically assigned to it.
"We have really dedicated deputy attorneys general who are doing an
outstanding job of prosecuting murder cases right now," he said.
"It's not a bad proposal, but to make it really effective you would have
to have investigators assigned to the unit to help the prosecutors do all
of the work that goes between indictment and trial."
Mr. Wharton has dismissed Mr. Biden's ideas for units dealing with child
predators and identity thieves as meaningless "cosmetic" changes.
"He would take prosecutors that are already handling these cases and just
put them in a new unit with a special name," Mr. Wharton said Tuesday.
Statistics showing fast increases in crimes where perpetrators use the
Internet to attract young victims and crimes involving the theft of
individuals' identity prove that Mr. Biden's special units need to be
created, the Democrat said.
"(A homicide unit) is worth discussing," Mr. Biden said, "but I know we
need a child predators unit with specially trained prosecutors and
investigators and I know we need an identity theft task force to prosecute
and prevent a fast-growing crime.
"I know we need those 2 things."
(source : Delaware State News)
With the prison that houses the state's death row as a backdrop,
Republican attorney general candidate Ferris Wharton proposed Tuesday
setting up a special homicide unit within the Department of Justice.
Mr. Wharton, who is battling Democrat Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III for the
office, said the move would lead to better prosecution for homicides and
other cases.
Currently, he said, homicide cases are given to deputy attorneys general
who are also handling rapes and other serious crimes.
While a deputy is prosecuting a murder case, Mr. Wharton said, their other
cases take a backseat.
A special unit would prevent those cases from losing priority because the
prosecutors handling them would not be diverted to murder trials.
"We know that murder is the most serious crime there is," Mr. Wharton said
during a news conference at the Delaware Correctional Center.
"We know that murder cases are the most serious cases there are because
there is no second chance for murder victims.
"A murder trial is a very consuming thing. Sometimes they take a month,
sometimes two, sometimes more."
Brian K. Kisner, whose mother was murdered in her Kenton home in 1986 by
escaped DCC inmate David Dawson, spoke highly of the plan and Mr. Wharton
at Tuesday's news conference.
Mr. Wharton, the top deputy attorney general in Kent County at the time,
prosecuted the case and attended the April 2001 execution with Mr. Kisner.
"When my mother was murdered, Ferris Wharton stepped in and fought for us
like we were his own family," said Mr. Kisner, a Dover resident.
"His talent, experience and tenacity helped bring my mother's cold-blooded
killer to justice."
Mr. Wharton, who spent 25 years as a state and federal prosecutor, said
the unit would have three or four prosecutors assigned to it.
Delaware averages 30 homicides a year, he said, most in New Castle County.
"Over the years I've successfully prosecuted some of Delaware's most
brutal killers such as Tom Capano and David Dawson," Mr. Wharton said.
"Getting a conviction isn't easy. It not only takes experience and
ability, it takes focus. That's why we need a homicide unit."
Mr. Biden, who has proposed setting up special units to deal with child
predators and identity theft, said a homicide unit would need more than
prosecutors specifically assigned to it.
"We have really dedicated deputy attorneys general who are doing an
outstanding job of prosecuting murder cases right now," he said.
"It's not a bad proposal, but to make it really effective you would have
to have investigators assigned to the unit to help the prosecutors do all
of the work that goes between indictment and trial."
Mr. Wharton has dismissed Mr. Biden's ideas for units dealing with child
predators and identity thieves as meaningless "cosmetic" changes.
"He would take prosecutors that are already handling these cases and just
put them in a new unit with a special name," Mr. Wharton said Tuesday.
Statistics showing fast increases in crimes where perpetrators use the
Internet to attract young victims and crimes involving the theft of
individuals' identity prove that Mr. Biden's special units need to be
created, the Democrat said.
"(A homicide unit) is worth discussing," Mr. Biden said, "but I know we
need a child predators unit with specially trained prosecutors and
investigators and I know we need an identity theft task force to prosecute
and prevent a fast-growing crime.
"I know we need those 2 things."
(source : Delaware State News)