Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty or life without parole for anyone who commits a murder on school grounds or in places of worship.
The bill has passed the Senate and is assigned to the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee. The panel's chairman says he's receptive to adding the locations to the aggravating factors that warrant the death penalty.
The Indianapolis Star (http://indy.st/1HC7U76 ) reports Indiana has nearly 20 aggravating factors that allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty or life without parole in murder cases.
Sen. Brandt Hershman says he sponsored the bill after a slaying at Purdue University in which prosecutors weren't able to seek the death penalty because state law doesn't include campus shootings as aggravating factors.
___
Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
