Massachusetts Death Penalty Amendment Sent to Committee

The Massachusetts House has turned aside a bid by several lawmakers to reinstate the death penalty, citing events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing.

The House voted 119-38 Tuesday in favor of a substitute amendment to send the proposal to a study committee. The procedural move meant that lawmakers weren't required to take an up or down vote on the death penalty.

The proposal would have allowed the death penalty in certain cases, including the murder of police officers. It would include rigid safeguards to prevent an innocent person from being executed.

The lead sponsor, Democratic Rep. James Miceli, emphasized that the amendment was filed several days before the April 15 bombing and was not a ``kneejerk reaction'' to the tragedy.

The surviving suspect in the Marathon attack, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, could face the federal death penalty.