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First enacted by statute in 1864, the death penalty was repealed by Oregon voters in 1914 and since then has been restored, outlawed again by voters, re-enacted by initiative, deemed unconstitutional and reinstated by initiative in 1984, the last time the issue came up for a vote. Since Gov. John Kitzhaber's announcement in November that he would not allow any fur-ther executions as long as he remains in office, debate over cap-ital punishment has once again become a front-burner issue. Interviewed by Cliff Collins, four Oregon lawyers — all with years of experience in the field — express their diverse opinions about a subject that everyone agrees is complex, difficult and worthy of OSB members' attention. |