A law was passed in Ohio so LWOP can be used and it is being used now in Ohio more than the death penalty is being used. No one should worry about a Wagner getting LWOP and then coming up for parole later on. Not going to happen. The governor would have to pardon them for them to get out.
If they get the DP and it is commuted, so what? They would then get LWOP.
The concept here is that if they are guilty the State will not allow them out, ever. Too dangerous, career suicide for anyone but defense attorneys trying to get them out.
Ohio Prosecutors Seeking Life Without Parole Instead of Death Penalty | Death Penalty Information Center
LWOP is a sentencing alternative in all 29 states that practice the death penalty, in addition to the federal government and U.S. Military.
The change in Ohio law was inspired by a murder victim’s mother’s advocacy for stiffer non-death sentence options.
Ohio prosecutors are taking advantage of their new option of
life without parole, seeking it much more often than the death penalty.
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Prosecutors around Ohio, citing the ability to pursue harsh punishment without going through the complication and expense of a death penalty case are starting to take advantage of the 2005 law,” and the “number of death penalty indictments sought statewide dropped 32 percent from 2004 to 2007.” Clermont County Prosecutor Don White explained,
“Life without parole means it’s over. The only way they’ll get out is in a pine box or if the governor lets them out
