Margaret Cowan | Oppose HB1737

I oppose HB 1737. Reinstating the death penalty for offenses involving minors under age 13 is an extreme and irreversible response that is not supported by medical, legal, or criminological evidence. Children lack the neurological development necessary to fully understand consequences, impulse control, and long-term outcomes. Extensive research shows that capital punishment does not serve as a deterrent, carries a substantial risk of wrongful conviction, and forecloses the possibility of treatment, rehabilitation, or later review. Serious offenses by minors should be addressed through incarceration combined with court-directed mental health evaluation and treatment, with sentencing determined by judicial and medical expertise—not by mandatory execution.