National Fraternal Order of Police endorses Keller’s crime victims bill

Washington, D.C. — Recently, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) National President Patrick Yoes wrote a letter of support on behalf of the organization’s 356,000 members for Eric’s Law, legislation introduced by Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) to bring justice to crime victims and their families.

Named for slain USP Canaan correctional officer, Eric Williams, Eric’s Law would amend current law to allow federal prosecutors to impanel a second jury for the sentencing phase of a federal death penalty case if the first jury fails to reach a unanimous decision.

“When justice is not served in the murder of a Federal law enforcement officer, it sends a message throughout the ranks of law enforcement that their sacrifice, up to and including the loss of their own life, is meaningless,” Yoes said in the letter. “At a time when law enforcement officers are being targeted with violence, I believe it is important that our nation's law enforcement officers have confidence that our criminal justice system will deliver justice to those who kill our officers. The bill you have proposed will do this.”

Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Congressmen Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15), Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), Ralph Norman (SC-05), and Dan Crenshaw (TX-02) joined Keller in reintroducing Eric’s Law.

The legislation is also supported by the AFGE Council of Prison Locals 33, AFL-CIO and Voices of J.O.E.

You can read the FOP’s letter of support here.

BACKGROUND:

In 2013, 34-year old Eric Williams was working as a correctional officer at USP Canaan when he was savagely beaten and stabbed more than 200 times by an inmate who was already serving a life sentence. A jury later found the inmate guilty of Eric’s murder, but because one out of 12 jurors voted against the death penalty, he faced no additional penalty for this heinous crime.

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