ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 30, 1996 TAG: 9607300005
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
Virginia Tech's Center for Survey Research polled 1,168 adult Virginians between April 21-May 22. The margin of error is 2.9 percent. Numbers may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
Highlights biggest differences between certain groups.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Most Virginians - 76 percent -support the death penalty for convicted murderers - although a majority - 57 percent - also say they'd back abolishing capital punishment if they had the option of sentencing criminals to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
There should be a death penalty for convicted murderers
Strongly agree 57%
Somewhat agree 26%
Somewhat disagree 8%
Strongly disagree 6%
Don't know 4%
Some people have suggested alternatives to the death penalty. One option is a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years, combined with a requirement that the prisoner work for money that would go to families of murder victims. How much would you agree with eliminating the death penalty if this were an option? Would you . . .
Strongly agree 24%
Somewhat agree 33%
Somewhat disagree 14%
Strongly disagree 26%
Don't know 3%
But Virginians don't think much of the state law which prohibits courts from considering any new evidence of innocence in a death penalty case if it is presented more than 21 days after the trial - 54 percent disagree with the law, only 22% agree with it.
How do feel about Virginia's evidence of innocence law?
Strongly agree 7%
Somewhat agree 15%
Somewhat disagree 28%
Strongly disagree 46%
Don't know 4%
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: color.by CNB