RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- In response to the Washington-area sniper killings, Virginia's attorney general proposed legislation to extend the death penalty to accomplices.
The Death Penalty Enhancement Act, presented Monday to the Virginia General Assembly by state Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore, would drop provisions in current law limiting the death penalty to the person who pulled the trigger in a shooting, the Washington Post reported.
"This is in direct response to issues involving the sniper trial in Fairfax. The message is simple: If you significantly participate in a capital murder, you will be eligible for the death penalty," Kilgore said.
The measure would also make it easier to appeal dismissals in criminal cases. A judge dropped charges in Fairfax County against convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad in October, ruling delays had violated his right to a speedy trial.
