California Measure on November Ballot to Repeal Death Penalty

Residents of California over 18 years of age and a U.S. citizen who are not currently in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony and not currently found mentally incompetent by a court will have an opportunity to vote in the November election whether to repeal California’s death penalty law.

If passed, the initiative is intended to repeal capital punishment and replace it with life in prison without parole. Proponents of the measure claim the initiative will reduce the number of inmates as well as lengthy appeals, thereby saving an alleged $150 million per year. In 2012, a similar proposal was barely defeated.

There are over 700 prisoners on Death Row in California, the state with the largest number in the nation. Since 1977 when California reinstated the death penalty, there have been only 13 executions. In January, 2006 and after our last execution, a federal judge concluded there were flaws in the lethal injection procedures along with inadequate training of prison staff and, therefore, the risk of an improper and painful execution was unjustifiable. Since that time, there has been an inadequate supply of single barbiturate (previously used three drug combination) injectable drugs, if any; Judges in the Federal Courts also have not approved new prison procedures and protocols

For an earlier Blog written by this attorney regarding this subject, click here: