By Hans Bader | January 14, 2021 | 3:52pm EST Lady Justice holds her scales. (Photo credit: LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images) Virginia's governor and the head of a key legislative subcommittee are backing legislation to abolish the death penalty in Virginia and overturn existing death sentences. In theory, the death penalty could save lives by deterring people from committing murder. Several studies found that it deters killings of innocent people. As the Associated Press noted in 2007, "Each execution deters an average of 18 murders, acco...