Murderers in Ohio could not face the death penalty unless the prosecution has DNA or biological evidence, a videotaped confession or another video recording that “conclusively links the defendant to the murder,” under recommendations the Ohio Supreme Court Death Penalty Task Force will consider on Thursday.

The proposal also would eliminate the possibility of the death penalty for kidnapping, rape, aggravated arson, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary, all of which can be capital crimes under current state law. And no more death penalty convictions could be based on jailhouse snitches.

The multiagency panel was established by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor and the Ohio State Bar Association to address a variety of concerns – such as race and regional variations – about how capital punishment is carried out in the Buckeye State. The group was not given the responsibility to determine whether the death penalty should continue to be carried out.

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Source: The Columbus Dispatch, April 9, 2014