We have the death penalty in Pennsylvania, sort of.
Since 1976, Pennsylvania has executed three people. Keith Zettlemoyer and Leon Moser were put to death in 1995 and Gary Heidnik was executed in 1999.
There are 191 inmates on death row in state prisons, including three from Lebanon County: Freeman May, who was sentenced in March 1991, and Carolyn King and Bradley Martin, who were sentenced in November 1994.
Many of those 191 inmates are appealing their verdicts or sentences, including the three who were sentenced here. In fact, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered new sentencing hearings for King and Martin.
Lebanon County District Attorney David Arnold will continue to seek the death penalty against both to honor the wishes of prosecutors and the family of Palmyra florist Guy Goodman, who was murdered by King and Martin in 1993.
Lebanon County Chief Public Defender Brian Deiderick represents Martin. King is represented by out-of-county attorneys, who will be paid by Lebanon County taxpayers. Deiderick said Martin and King have offered to accept life in prison.
An out-of-county judge, Senior Judge D. Michael Stine of Schuylkill County, is handling King’s case, because Lebanon County four judges have recused themselves.
In June, Lebanon County commissioners approved the use of TempForce to make copies of thousands of pages of legal documents associated with Martin’s case. It is likely those expenses will be duplicated for King’s case.
“We’re probably easily at $100,000 (in expenses) and that’s just for Martin,” Lebanon County Administrator Jamie Wolgemuth said Tuesday. “(King’s case) has the potential to mirror this.”
Martin’s hearing is likely to be scheduled around the middle of this year, with King’s to follow.
If Pennsylvania didn’t have the death penalty, these sentencing hearings wouldn’t be happening and the county treasury would be healthier.
Follow along on Twitter @sesnyderleb.