Should Death-Penalty Juries Learn About Death Penalty Costs?

Debate over Utah’s death penalty is intensifying as attorneys prepare for the trial of an Ogden couple accused of starving and fatally abusing their 3-year-old daughter. Twenty-eight-year-old Miller Costello and 25-year-old Brenda Emile are accused in the July 2017 death of Angelina Costello. Over the past year, defense attorneys have filed several motions challenging the death penalty, including those asking that jurors be questioned about blood atonement and the comparative costs of execution versus life in prison. Prosecutors say that the law is clear and juries can consider the death penalty when defendants are convicted of certain crimes.