Assembly Republicans were joined Monday by Senator Joseph Griffo, law enforcement officials and families of police officers slain in the line of duty to call for the return of capital punishment for those convicted of murdering police officers or correctional officials.

Recent killings of police officers across the state underscore the need for the death penalty for cop killers as both a deterrent and punishment.

Utica Police Officer Thomas Lindsey was shot and killed during a traffic stop on April 12, 2007. In March 2006, New York State Trooper Andrew Sperr was killed in the town of Big Flats, near Elmira, when he stopped a vehicle containing bank robbery suspects.  Also in 2006, fugitive Ralph "Bucky" Phillips murdered New York State Trooper Joseph Longobardo and injured State Troopers Donald Baker Jr. and Sean Brown.  Between 2002 and 2006, 13 police officers in New York State were killed in the line of duty.

In 1995, the Legislature and former Governor Pataki reinstated the death penalty in New York.  Under this statute, cop killers could receive the death penalty. The state's highest court ruled parts of this statute unconstitutional in 2004, effectively killing the death penalty here.

Assembly Republican legislation would remedy the Court of Appeals' decision by mandating that those convicted of first degree murder be unanimously sentenced by a jury to death, life imprisonment without parole or a minimum sentence of between 20 and 25 years.  Similar legislation was defeated by Assembly Democrats in 2005 and 2006.  Assembly Republicans want all members to have an opportunity to vote on these important public safety measures.