Federal government says state death penalties are 'unconstitutional'
FREE Catholic Classes
A federal judge ruled that California's death penalty is unconstitutional on July 16, claiming that the state's system is arbitrary, unfair, and cruel and unusual because of a lengthy process that leaves prisoners in the dark about their actual death row status.
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
7/17/2014 (9 years ago)
Published in Politics & Policy
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Surprisingly the ruling came from U.S. District Court Judge Cormac J. Carney, a conservative Republican judge that had been appointed by former President George W. Bush.
You can be the light in the darkness with "prayer and action."
Cormac ruled on a case that was brought against the warden of San Quentin state prison by an inmate on death row. On his ruling, Carney said that the death penalty as an empty promise violates the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
"Inordinate and unpredictable delay has resulted in a death penalty system in which very few of the hundreds of individuals sentenced to death have been, or even will be, executed by the State," his ruling read.
Since the current death penalty system was adopted 35 years ago, more than 900 people have been sentenced to death, but only 13 have been executed he said.
"As for the random few for whom execution does become a reality, they will have languished for so long on Death Row that their execution will serve no retributive or deterrent purpose and will be arbitrary," the judge stated.
Gil Garcetti, a former Los Angeles County district attorney and an anti-death penalty activist called the ruling "truly historic."
"It further proves that the death penalty is broken beyond repair," he said, calling for capital punishment to be replaced "with life in prison without the possibility of parole."
Matt Cherry, who is the executive director of Death Penalty Focus, a group that is anti-death penalty, said that the ruling sets a clear precedent.
"We think this is a very historic ruling. It's the first time that a federal court has found California's death penalty to be unconstitutional, and its also the first time that any court has found a state's death penalty to be unconstitutional because its arbitrary and unfair," he said.
"Our hope is that the state replaces the death penalty with life without parole and shuts down its death row," Cherry said. "Currently life without parole is the ultimate punishment in California, except for the death penalty."
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Cinco de Mayo - What is the day really about?
-
Cinco de Mayo, the Fifth of May: A Day to Celebrate Heritage and History
-
Chaplain Reveals Unrest at Columbia University Caused by Communists
-
Discovering Who We Are: God's Truth in Scripture
-
Pope Francis Advises Parish Priests on Fostering a Missionary Church
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Monday, May 06, 2024
- St. Dominic Savio: Saint of the Day for Monday, May 06, 2024
- Nurse's Prayer: Prayer of the Day for Monday, May 06, 2024
- Daily Readings for Sunday, May 05, 2024
- St. Hilary of Arles: Saint of the Day for Sunday, May 05, 2024
- Padre Nuestro - Our Father (Lord's Prayer): Prayer of the Day for Sunday, May 05, 2024
We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.
Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.Help Now >
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.