Republican Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters says a new ruling from the Catholic Church stating the death penalty is always inadmissible hasn't changed his stance that it is sometimes necessary.
Deters, who recently called for the use of firing squads instead of lethal injections, says he previously reconciled his Catholic faith with the idea of seeking the death penalty in certain cases. Pope Francis last week said the death penalty is an attack on the inherent dignity of any person. Deters says there is "evil in the world," and there are times when "society needs to defend itself." Hamilton is responsible for more executions than any Ohio county since the death penalty was re-instituted in 1981. Deters served as state treasurer from 1999 through 2004.
