State of New Hampshire secondary Archives: on Crime

Andy Martin: Current crime system is ok, but open to improvements

Bernie Sanders: Government should not be part of the death penalty

CLINTON: I do reserve it for particularly heinous crimes, like terrorism. I thought it was appropriate after a very thorough trial that Timothy McVeigh received the death penalty for blowing up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

SANDERS: It's hard to imagine how people can bomb and kill 168 people in Oklahoma City, but this is what I believe: #1, too many innocent people, including minorities, African Americans, have been executed when they were not guilty. We have to be very careful about making sure about that. But #2, of course there are barbaric acts out there. But, in a world of so much violence and killing, I just don't believe that government itself should be part of the killing. So, when somebody commits any of these terrible crimes that we have seen, you lock them up, and you toss away the key. They're never going to get out. But, I just don't want to see government be part of killing.

Bernie Sanders: Create criminal records for corrupt white collar criminals

Q: Senator Sanders, you have been a critic of Secretary Clinton taking speaking fees and having donations from Wall Street. What about her defence?

SANDERS: Wall Street is perhaps the most powerful political force in this country. You have companies like Goldman Sachs, who paid a fine for $5 billion for defrauding investors. It was one of those companies whose illegal activity helped destroy our economy. Kid gets caught with marijuana, that kid has a police record. A Wall Street executive destroys the economy, no criminal record. That is what power is. That is what has to change.

Chris Sununu: Expedite critical resources to combat crime

Chris Sununu said of the announcement, "In New Hampshire, we are proud to have one of the most effective and professional law enforcement communities in the country. Our officers work tirelessly to keep our families safe and to address some our state's most complex and dangerous issues. Support for law enforcement has never been more vital."

Chris Sununu: Supports capital punishment, to support crime victims

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, a staunch opponent of repeal, cited law enforcement and families of crime victims in his reaction to the override vote. "I am incredibly disappointed that the Senate chose to override my veto," the governor said in a statement. Death penalty opponents withstood a strong lobbying effort by Sununu and active members of law enforcement throughout the state. Sununu came within one vote of having his veto sustained in the House, which voted last week to override the veto, 247-123, just meeting the two-thirds requirement. Repeal of the death penalty was a major initiative for the Democratic leadership in House and Senate.

Chris Sununu: Banned choke holds, require police misconduct reporting

Chris Sununu: Yes. Signed a "bill to ban police choke holds and require mandatory reporting of police misconduct." Formed commission to recommend police training reforms.

Dan Feltes: Yes. In State Senate passed bill that "bans choke holds by police and mandates police reporting of misconduct by other police." "We must do more including updating police standards and training with implicit bias training and de-escalation."

Chris Sununu: Committed to bring greater accountability to our system

Chris Sununu: Ensure violent criminals don't automatically go free on bail

Corky Messner: Criminal investigation requested of Messner Foundation

Messner's campaign says the scholarship program did not begin until 2016 and that a second student recently was awarded funds.

Corky Messner: Arrested for DUI in 1995, pled guilty to lesser charge

Corky Messner: We need law and order; get bad cops out of the system

Corky Messner: No. "We need law and order." Reform law enforcement "to the extent that bad cops are out of the system" and have "better training . to de-escalate problems."

Jeanne Shaheen: Yes. Ban choke holds; address police reform at its core; "compromise between people who want to totally redefine it and those who don't want to change it at all."

Dan Feltes: Enhanced penalties for prior DUI convictions

In Committee (2/19/2020): Ought to Pass with Amendment 2020-0725s, Motion Adopted, Voice Vote; OT3rdg; 03/05/2020; Senate Journal 5 (on 3/5/2020)

Dan Feltes: Ban choke holds, improve training on bias and de-escalation

Dan Feltes: Yes. In State Senate passed bill that "bans choke holds by police and mandates police reporting of misconduct by other police." "We must do more including updating police standards and training with implicit bias training and de-escalation."

Chris Sununu: Yes. Signed a "bill to ban police choke holds and require mandatory reporting of police misconduct." Formed commission to recommend police training reforms.

Hillary Clinton: Death penalty appropriate for Oklahoma City bombing

CLINTON: What I hope the Supreme Court will do is make it absolutely clear that any state that continues capital punishment must meet the highest standards of evidentiary proof of effective assistance of counsel. I have much more confidence in the federal system, and I do reserve it for particularly heinous crimes in the federal system, like terrorism. I thought it was appropriate after a very thorough trial that Timothy McVeigh received the death penalty for blowing up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including 19 children in a daycare center.

SANDERS: When somebody commits any of these terrible crimes [like in Oklahoma City], you lock them up, and you toss away the key. They're never going to get out. But, I just don't want to see government be part of killing.

Jeanne Shaheen: Ban choke holds; address police reform

Jeanne Shaheen: Yes. Ban choke holds; address police reform at its core; "compromise between people who want to totally redefine it and those who don't want to change it at all."

Corky Messner: No. "We need law and order." Reform law enforcement "to the extent that bad cops are out of the system" and have "better training to de-escalate problems."

Jeanne Shaheen: Vetoed bill to abolish death penalty

REP. JIM SPLAINE: My judgment is Governor Shaheen is a very good person. I still support her, despite her position on this issue. She did not really focus in on the arguments about the death penalty during 8 hours of public hearings in the House and 5 hours of public hearings in the State Senate. She was not able to work into her schedule attendance at either of those public hearings, except five minutes at one, where she came and briefly gave her comments against, and then she was out of there.

John Lynch: Parole violators go to jail, for all released convicts

• The state prison population has increased 31% since 2000.
• Revocations from parole have increased 50% since 2000, and probation and parole revocations now account for 57% of all admissions to state prison.
• A large number of people are held in prison beyond their minimum sentence date. Furthermore, 16% of people released from NH prisons completed their maximum sentence without receiving parole supervision.
• Intent:
• Make probation and parole supervision tough and smart by creating tools for probation and parole officers to use in reducing recidivism such as short, swift, and certain jail sanctions for supervising probationers and intermediate sanction programs for parolees in lieu of revocation to prison.
• Ensure everyone leaving prison receives at least 9 months of post-release supervision.

Kelly Ayotte: Supports capital punishment for police killers

Governor Sununu came within one vote of having his veto sustained in the House, which voted last week to override the veto, 247-123, just meeting the 2/3 requirement.

Supporters of the death penalty focused most of their arguments on a call for justice in the 2006 murder of Manchester police Officer Michael Briggs by convicted felon Michael Addison, who is awaiting execution. Opponents of the repeal measure argued that Addison will escape execution, even though the bill states that the repeal is not retroactive.

Kelly Ayotte, former U.S. Senator and the attorney general who served as chief prosecutor in the Addison trial, expressed disappointment about the state Senate vote in a tweet: "Police killer Michael Addison is the happiest about their vote today."

Maggie Hassan: Parole violators go to jail, for all released convicts

• The state prison population has increased 31% since 2000.
• Revocations from parole have increased 50% since 2000, and probation and parole revocations now account for 57% of all admissions to state prison.
• A large number of people are held in prison beyond their minimum sentence date. Furthermore, 16% of people released from NH prisons completed their maximum sentence without receiving parole supervision.
• Intent:
• Make probation and parole supervision tough and smart by creating tools for probation and parole officers to use in reducing recidivism such as short, swift, and certain jail sanctions for supervising probationers and intermediate sanction programs for parolees in lieu of revocation to prison.
• Ensure everyone leaving prison receives at least 9 months of post-release supervision.