Why some Republicans are turning against the death penalty

It’s rare for a politician to admit they were wrong. But Jean Schmidt will own up to this: She used to support the death penalty.

In 2001, Schmidt was an Ohio state representative when the legislature debated ending the use of the electric chair. Schmidt, a Republican, argued on the house floor that even if the electric chair was on the way out, the death penalty was still necessary as a deterrent to, and a punishment for, the worst kinds of crimes. “I was just very, very forceful about keeping...