Sedgwick County District Court is the setting for a hearing on the constitutionality of the death penalty in Kansas.
A challenge was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, along with the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project and the law firms of Hogan Lovells and Ali and Lockwood.
The ACLU is arguing several points during the hearing, claiming that the death penalty is racially discriminatory in its application and in the jury selection process, that it is rare and unfairly applied, and that it doesn’t deter homicides and it’s more costly than alternative punishment. The ACLU said the death penalty also risks the execution of innocent people.
The ACLU plans to provide experts to testify about racial bias and how it impacts when and whether the death penalty will be sought, and the expense of maintaining the death penalty with no public safety benefit.
The hearing began Monday, and it is expected to last several weeks.
