Justice for Officer Eric Williams

Floor Speech

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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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