Leading judges and scholars provided a grim verdict Thursday on how well the California justice system is carrying out the ultimate punishment as a state commission began an unprecedented review of the death penalty.
From California Chief Justice Ronald George, a death penalty supporter, to law professors who oppose capital punishment, the theme was consistent: The state’s death penalty system is a mess.
George and six other witnesses, including a federal appeals court judge and Florida’s former chief justice, named a string of reforms to improve death penalty justice in California, where there are now nearly 670 inmates on death row who typically spend decades awaiting execution.
But for the most part, many of the proposals called for spending more money – just as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger elsewhere in the building was proposing dramatic cuts in education and prisons to cope with a $14 billion budget shortfall.
“The current system is not functioning effectively,” George told the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. “We’re at a point now where choices must be made.”
May I ask the relevance of the preceding comment and link to the topic of the post?
[i] Comment deleted. Commenter is warned about staying on topic. [/i]