HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The Connecticut Supreme Court for the second time has heard arguments that the recent repeal of the state's death penalty should also apply to the 10 inmates currently on death row.
The court heard oral arguments Tuesday in the appeal of Daniel Webb, who is awaiting execution for the 1989 kidnapping and murder of bank executive Diane Gellenbeck.
Webb's lawyers argue that repealing capital punishment only for future crimes violates Webb's constitutional rights to equal protection by treating him differently than other defendants.
Lawyers spent little time arguing that point Tuesday, relying instead on their briefs and arguments made in the pending appeal of Eduardo Santiago. Santiago's death sentence was recently set aside, and the Supreme Court is deciding whether the death penalty should apply in a new sentencing hearing.
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