Friends Committee on Legislation of California


	*A starting place for citizen advocacy*

End Capital Punishment

Erosion of public support for the death penalty challenged both Presidental candidates. Now, as Governor Bush forms his cabinet, and the President has posponed the first Federal execution in decades, there continues to be much national interest in this issue.

California has no scheduled executions as of the end on the year 2000, but many people are seeking city council resolutions to build support for a death penalty moratorium. When Illinois announced its moratorium Governor Gray Davis was quick to deny that such a step should be taken here. Yet there are indications not enough experienced lawyers are available to provide a competent defense of the large number of capital prosecutions in the state. And the Ramparts scandel in Los Angeles, as well as the controversy over racial profiling demonstrate that criminal justice in California is far too imperfect to support the death penalty.

California has more condemned inmates than any other state (over 565 as of April, 2000), most of them are poor, most are black or hispanic, and some could be scheduled for execution in a matter of months. There is no certainty that the crimes they committed are more heinous than those of prisoners serving life sentences, and the last few executions have served to increase public unease about the morality and wisdom of the death penalty:

The State Department of Corrections refused to permit Darrell Rich to engage in the Ritual Sweat Lodge Ceremony that Native American's use as a rite of reconciliation to cleanse themselves and prepare the Spirit in advance of death. Shamefully, Rich was executed without the ceremony called for by his faith.

The Governor refused to acknowledge the tragic dilemma faced by families of mentally ill veterans like Manny Babbit. Babbit's borther failed in his efforts to find adequate mental health services before an innocent person died, and then made the agonizing decision to bring his suspicions about Manny's responsibility for the crime to the police in hopes that help would finally be forthcoming. Clemency was denied, and Manny was executed.

Although many ex-prosecutors had doubts that Tommy Thompson had committed a rape and murder, the authorities allowed his execution to proceed.

The failure to notify Jay Sirapongs' embassy that he was a murder suspect probably had an adverse effect on his defense, but two governors were willing to overlook that fact in denying clemancy.

Political pressures seem to have eroded the very nature of the clemency process. And the calm and dignity of the condemned men as they have met their fate should only add to our unease surrounding capital punishment.

In the face of these questions, there have been disappointing efforts to expand the death penalty. But there are occasional moves to acknowledge its financial and social costs.

For current bills on the death penalty, see the FCL bill status summary.

Questions/Declaration of Life. A one-page summary of Questions About the Death Penalty, and a Declaration of Life, suitable for use with groups and congregations has been distributed as a Newsletter insert (April '99).

Other good resources on the death penalty may be found at:

Death Penalty Information Center

Death Penalty Focus of California

Friends Committee to Abolish the Death Penalty.

Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Religious Organizing Against the Death Penalty

Death Penalty USA includes information on executions

California Coalition to End the Death Penalty

Religious Tolerance and the Death Penalty

Moratorium 2000 online petition.

Justice Project Columbia study of error-prone death penalty process

Links to other death penalty pages