California Chief Justice Says No Executions Likely for Three Years

The Chief Justice of California’s Supreme Court, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, said recently that she does not expect executions in California to resume for at least three years because of problems with the lethal injection process. California has already not carried out an execution in seven years. Justice Cantil-Sakauye said major structural changes to the state’s death penalty are unlikely, and that a proposal by the former Chief Justice to speed death penalty appeals is “dead.” That proposal would have had state appellate courts, rather than the California Supreme Court, handle appeals in capital cases. Such a change would require a constitutional amendment and greater funding for appellate courts. Those proposals have failed in the past. Californians narrowly defeated (52-48%) a ballot initiative to repeal the death penalty and put some of the money saved into solving cold cases. The state is spending an estimated $180 million per year on the death penalty.

(E. Green and P. Jones, “Chief justice discusses issues including court funding, executions,” (subscription required), Daily Journal, December 18, 2012). See New Voices and Lethal Injection.