Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli visited a high school classroom Thursday and laid out his position on issues related to the death penalty and the punishment for animal abuse versus domestic abuse.
"Animal fighting shouldn't be above spouse fighting. It just shouldn't," Cuccinelli told students at the Hermitage Technical Center in Henrico County. "If you hit your spouse, it is a misdemeanor, but betting on chicken fighting is a felony. That struck me as being out of balance."
The young audience — 20 students in a criminal-justice program — was attentive as Cuccinelli gave examples of misdemeanor and felony cases and talked about the Virginia criminal-justice system, some of the politics involved, and some of the consequences for committing crimes that some people don't often think about, such as losing the right to drive, own a firearm and vote.
This was Cuccinelli's first time teaching the class as part of his office's "Virginia Rules" program, which aims to teach young people about Virginia laws, and help them stay out of trouble and become active members of their community.
Christine Vavra, a junior who aspires to be a police officer, said the attorney general's presentation gave her a different perspective on some of the themes she's been studying and an insight on some of the politics that drive some of the laws.
Cuccinelli explained that one of the weaknesses of the political system setting criminal penalties is "you get reactions to circumstances in particular communities that drive the bill."
He also tackled the death penalty, noting his opposition to efforts to eliminate the "triggerman" rule, which says that only the person who pulls the trigger in a capital-murder case is eligible for the death penalty.
"Getting rid of the triggerman rule would let anybody associated with any crime where someone dies be put to death potentially. It doesn't mean they all would be. But it opens that door," he said. "I do not think that our criminal-justice system has a problem with not putting enough people to death. Follow that? And I do not think that getting rid of the trigger rule would deter crimes from happening."
"I do think we should have the death penalty, but I don't think we should be enthusiastic about it," he said.
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