by a fellow death row inmate. New Jersey’s current death row inmates—all men—are housed at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton and are between 28 and 75 years old. Their time on death row ranges from about a year and a half to 22 years.





In January 2003, Gov. James McGreevey vetoed a bill, passed unanimously by the Senate and overwhelmingly by the Assembly, that would have studied all aspects of New Jersey’s death penalty, including cost. In contrast to the Legislature’s sentiment, he expressed the view that after having three previous death penalty study commissions in New Jersey it was unlikely new information would be brought forth. Commissions in 1905, 1964 and 1971 had studied the New Jersey death penalty—all prior to the system being re-instituted in1982.





In February 2004, in response to a challenge to the legality of the procedures for lethal injection in New Jersey, a unanimous New Jersey Appellate Court panel suspended all executions in New Jersey.

CRIMINAL PROCESS PRIMER





There is a lot more to the death penalty than might be assumed from watching television or movies. It is arguably the most complex and nuanced aspect of the criminal justice system, requiring serious effort even for legal practitioners and law enforcement personnel to fully understand. But a working knowledge of the process and the players is essential to grasp the financial aspects of the system.





Criminal cases in New Jersey are prosecuted at the county level, in Superior Court. County prosecutors (in most states elected, but in New Jersey appointed by the Governor though