Sticking up for evil doers

From Colorado we get the story of a death sentence tossed out. Why? The jurors consulted with the Bible in order to pass judgement.

I'm a staunch advocate for a sharp, sharp divide between church and state. Of course the sentence should have been tossed out. God's law is not universal, nor should biblical precepts have higher guidance power in America. If we wanted to run on God's law, we wouldn't need courts and lawyers at all.

However, the other side of the coin has me wanting the death sentence waived for a man who by all accounts raped a woman at gunpoint for hours, and when she escaped, he gravely wounded the rescuer and killed his victim. Why shouldn't he get the death penalty? Clear-cut cases like that are what the death penalty is for.

But man's actions should be judged and punished by man's law, not ONE religion's interpretation of God's law.