[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 84 (Friday, May 14, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H2320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   JUSTICE FOR OFFICER ERIC WILLIAMS

  (Mr. KELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, in 2013, Eric Williams was working as a 
correctional officer at USP Canaan when he was savagely murdered by an 
inmate who was already serving a life sentence. A jury later found the 
inmate guilty of Eric's murder, but because 1 out of 12 jurors voted 
against the death penalty, he faced no additional penalty for this 
crime. Such an outcome is unacceptable in our legal system. Officer 
Williams' tragic killing reveals a glaring injustice for victims of 
violent crime.
  That is why I reintroduced Eric's Law this week, which would permit 
prosecutors to impanel a second jury for sentencing in a death penalty 
case when the first jury fails to deliver a unanimous verdict.
  Officer Williams died protecting our community, and we owe it to him 
and others like him to punish the violent criminals who commit these 
acts. Though we will never be able to rid our society of heinous crimes 
or acts of violence, this bill is a step in the right direction to 
ensure victims and their families have every opportunity to pursue the 
justice they deserve.

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