The Death Penalty in Virginia: Attempts at Legislative Reform

This paper will argue that the time has come for legislative reform of capital punishment. It will briefly examine the history of the death penalty, focusing on the provisions under which it was reinstated and whether those provisions are met under today\u27s implementation. Then it will look to recent attempts by the Virginia General Assembly to reform the procedures by which it implements the death penalty. The paper will also explore public perception of the death penalty as an explanation for why the death penalty persists as the ultimate punishment, despite recent problems with its implementation