Lebanon County state Rep. Russ Diamond proposes legislation to abolish death penalty in PA

A Lebanon County Republican state lawmaker has introduced legislation to eliminate the death penalty in Pennsylvania, which he said aligns with "pro-life values."

On March 13, Rep. Russ Diamond introduced HB 888, which would abolish the death penalty in the commonwealth if adopted. In a memo to the House, Diamond said that "the role of government should not be to decide who lives and who dies, but to protect and promote life wherever possible."

"As legislators, we must uphold the principle that all human life has inherent value and dignity, regardless of the circumstances," he said. "Abolishing the death penalty aligns with pro-life values by affirming that the state should not take life as punishment, even in response to the gravest of crimes."

According to the state Department of Corrections website, there are currently 94 individuals on death row in Pennsylvania. Since 1978, only three individuals have been executed in the commonwealth, all of whom waived their appeals and asked for the execution to be carried out.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has stated that he will not issue any execution warrants during his term in office, and has asked the General Assembly to abolish the death penalty. No executions in the commonwealth have been carried out since 1999.

Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf has stated she will be seeking the death penalty for Alex Torres-Santos and Ivan Claudio-Rosero for homicide charges. Both men were allegedly involved in a triple homicide in the 400 block of N. 5th St. in 2023. The criminal trial is scheduled for later this year.

Speaking on his Substack account, Diamond said that as someone who considers himself 100% pro-life, he believes in "the sanctity of life from conception to natural death." Diamond added that being tough on crime and opposing the death penalty are not mutually exclusive.

"Since as an individual I cannot take another’s life except in the most extreme instance of self-defense, I cannot consent to grant a greater power to government and consider it just," he said. "There is no element of self-defense in executing someone already in captivity. Permanent incarceration satisfies our collective need for self-defense."

Citing the Death Penalty Information Center, Diamond said that 13 individuals who had been sentenced to death in Pennsylvania were later exonerated, including one in 2024. Diamond also pointed towards a recent survey in 2016, which said the death penalty cost taxpayers at least $816 million more than the cost of life without parole.

More than 23 states and Washington D.C. have already abolished the death penalty, with Diamond calling for Pennsylvania to follow suit "and should prioritize a consistent ethic of life in our justice system by joining them."

Diamond's bill has been co-sponsored Rep. Liz Hanbidge (D-Montgomery), Rep. Marla Brown (R-Lawrence), Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia), Rep. Joseph D'Orsie (R-York) and Rep. Nathan Davidson (D-Cumberland and Dauphin). No hearing date has been scheduled as of March 13.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth.