Meanwhile in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Department of Justice is coming under fire for forcing the island’s first death penalty trial in more than 75 years. The U.S. territory outlawed capital punishment in 1929. But in a recent murder case, federal prosecutors from the Justice Department opted to ignore the local law and the Puerto Rican constitution and invoke the 1994 Federal Death Penalty Act.
Justice Dep’t Forces First Death Penalty Trial in Puerto Rico in 75 Years
HeadlineJul 18, 2003