New Jersey death penalty moratorium nearly official

As detailed in this New York Times article, "[w]ith a crucial committee vote on Thursday, New Jersey lawmakers all but assured that the state's death penalty would be suspended for a year so that its fairness and expense can be studied."  As the article notes, if "the bill that advanced on Thursday becomes law, as expected, then New Jersey would be the third state to impose a moratorium and the first to do so through legislation."  (Bonus points to readers who know, without clicking through to the NY Times article, which two states have had moratoriums via executive decisions.)

Of course, as I noted here when this Garden State capital moratorium started gaining momentum, New Jersey has essentially had a de facto (and pricey) moratorium on executions for more than two decades.  As detailed in a report discussed here, the state has spent over $250 million on administering its capital punishment system without having executed anyone.   For a lot more background on capital punishment in New Jersey, this Trenton Times article provides additional coverage.