Americans support the death penalty for terrorists, according to a national poll released by Quinnipiac University.
The national survey found that 63 percent favored the death penalty for someone convicted of murder involving an act of terrorism compared to 32 percent who said they opposed capital punishment.
The results of the poll come as political leaders including Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger, a Democrat, and Washington County Republican Del. Neil Parrott announced a plan to collect more than 55,000 signatures in order to reinstate the death penalty in Maryland.
"One only has to look back to Oklahoma City, Aurora, CO, Newtown, CT, and the recent massacre in Boston to recognize that if these crimes were committed today, here in Maryland, we would not have the appropriate penalty available for the prosecutors to decide what the punishment should be," Shellenberger said during a news conference last week at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
When asked specifically about the death penalty for perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing, support slips slightly with 59 percent of those surveyed saying they favor capital punishing compared to 36 percent who oppose it.