Maryland's Death Penalty Repeal Could Head to Referendum in 2014

Before the ink dries on Gov. Martin O'Malley's signature, two elected officials are expected to make an announcement Friday about possibly overturning a measure he signed into law repealing the death penalty.

Delegate Neil Parrott (R-Washington County) and State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger (D-Baltimore County) are expected to discuss the potential for the death penalty to appear on the 2014 ballot as a referendum question.

Parrott runs the website MDPetitions.com, which was responsible for placing laws such as the state's recognition of same sex marriage on the 2012 ballot.

Shellenberger testified against the repeal of the death penalty during hearings in Annapolis earlier this year.

The Friday announcement regarding a possible effort to collect the required 55,736 signatures is scheduled just one day after O'Malley signed the repeal into law in Annapolis.

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A March poll released by Goucher College found that a majority of Marylanders favored retaining the death penalty; however, they preferred a punishment for murder to be life in prison without parole.

According to the poll, 51 percent of those surveyed favored retaining capital punishment in Maryland compared with 43 percent who said they favored abolishing the law.

O'Malley made the repeal of the death penalty one of his legislative priorities in 2013.