In 2003, California juries sent 16 indi­vid­u­als to death row, the low­est num­ber since 1985 and a dra­mat­ic decline from 1999’s total of 42 new death sen­tences. Some believe the decline is evi­dence of pros­e­cu­tors being more selec­tive in seek­ing death con­vic­tions, as well as the pub­lic’s skep­ti­cism about the cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment sys­tem. Robert Pugsley, a pro­fes­sor at Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, not­ed, ​“I think that (inci­dences of wrong­ful­ly con­vict­ed death row inmates) has giv­en increased vig­or to the argu­ment made by ide­o­log­i­cal as well as prag­mat­ic oppo­nents of the death penal­ty that the sys­tem is rid­dled with error. Juries are being more selec­tive and pros­e­cu­tors too, although a DA would nev­er admit that.” California has exe­cut­ed 10 indi­vid­u­als since it rein­stat­ed the death penal­ty. The sched­uled exe­cu­tion of Kevin Cooper in February 2004 would be the state’s first exe­cu­tion in two years. There are more than 600 peo­ple on the state’s death row. (Press-Enterprise, January 26, 2004) See Death Sentences by State. See California.

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