Greenleaf Crime Bills Clear Judiciary Committee

HARRISBURG – A bill to ensure that states cooperate more effectively in handling juvenile delinquents and runaways and a separate bill to add murder for insurance proceeds to the list of aggravating circumstances in first-degree murder cases were approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Both bills are sponsored by Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf, R-Montgomery/Bucks.

Senate Bill 57 would allow a prosecutor to seek the death penalty in cases in which a defendant commits murder in order to collect life insurance proceeds. Greenleaf noted that there have been two Montgomery County murders in recent years in which victims were killed so that the perpetrators could collect on life insurance policies and pay off their debts. However, because this type of murder is not on the commonwealth’s list of aggravating circumstances, the district attorney could not seek the death penalty.

Under the state’s Judicial Code, the procedure for determining whether a person convicted of first-degree murder receives life imprisonment or a death sentence involves aggravating and mitigating circumstances. In order to impose the death penalty, a jury must find at least one aggravating circumstance and no mitigating circumstances, or that the aggravating circumstances outweigh the mitigating circumstances. Aggravating circumstances must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and mitigating circumstances must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. Currently, there are 18 aggravating and eight mitigating circumstances listed.

"Killing someone for insurance proceeds is one of the most disturbing crimes because it involves gaining someone’s trust to be named as beneficiary, and then coldly killing the victim for the money it will bring," Greenleaf said. "Plotting to kill a spouse or a child or a trusted friend in this way certainly merits consideration as an aggravating circumstance."

Senate Bill 319, the enabling legislation for the new Interstate Compact for Juveniles, would put Pennsylvania on board with other states that have approved a proposed improved system for states to cooperate in managing cases of adjudicated juveniles and runaways who cross state lines. The compact will be ratified when the 35th state enacts it into law. The compact is similar to the Interstate Compact for the Supervision of Adult Offenders, which was ratified last session when Pennsylvania became the 35th state to enact it.