SB64 eliminates life imprisonment, without release or parole, for juvenile murderers.
The Senate passed SB64 on February 22, 2023, by a vote of 32 to 8. We have assigned pluses to the nays because justice is the overall purpose of civil government. The State of New Mexico has a dual role of securing the “unalienable” right to life, liberty, and property while punishing anyone responsible for depriving it. Young adult offenders (e.g., 16 or 17-year-olds) who have reached an age of discretion can only themselves be held accountable for their own actions. Punishment for one’s crimes must be borne by that person, and failed parenting is not an excuse for first-degree murder. The U.S. Constitution’s “due process” and “equal protection” requirements follow the Common Law retributive principle that ‘the punishment should fit the crime.’ Serious crimes, especially murder, demand capital punishment, and thus are worthy of no less than life imprisonment without release or parole.