Sen. Ken Salazar tried to intervene in the extradition matter involving Raul Gomez-Garcia, accused of killing Denver police officer Donnie Young. Salazar, our former Attorney General and a death penalty proponent, thinks the Mexican Government should make an exception to its extradition law in the case of Gomez-Garcia. Mexican law forbids extradition if the country seeking it intends to ask for the death penalty or life without parole. Salazar placed a telphone call to Mexico’s Attorney General and argued his case.

Daniel Cabeza de Vaca Hernandez, who was appointed Mexican attorney general in May, had a phone conversation Tuesday with Colorado U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar about Raul Garcia-Gomez’s extradition….Hernandez told Salazar that those behind the extradition of Garcia-Gomez should consider Mexico’s laws and not seek capital punishment or life in prison without parole.

Laws shouldn’t carve out exceptions for individuals. Laws shouldn’t be passed or changed in response to a singlular event, no matter how tragic. Cooler heads are needed in the wake of such incidents, and it’s way too slippery a slope.