COSTS: Washington State Is Spending Tens of Millions on Death Penalty

Three capital cases in one county have already cost Washington almost $10 million, and have barely begun. For the trial of Christopher Monfort, King County has already spent over $4 million, and it is still in the jury selection phase. Two other capital cases in the county have cost a combined $4.9 million, and the trials have not started. The capital case of serial killer Gary Ridgway, which is believed to be the most expensive case in Washington’s history, cost about $12 million and resulted in a sentence of life without parole. In February, Governor Jay Inslee instituted a moratorium on executions in Washington, highlighting both the costs and the arbitrariness of the death penalty, noting, “Equal justice under the law is the state’s primary responsibility. And in death penalty cases, I’m not convinced equal justice is being served. The use of the death penalty in this state is unequally applied, sometimes dependent on the budget of the county where the crime occurred.” Defense attorney Mark Larrañaga said, “It is a complete waste of resources and time. We’ve had five executions in 40 years. Seventy-five to 80 percent of these cases are reversed.”

(L. Henterly, “Holding Three Simultaneous Death Penalty Trials in King County Is Unprecedented—and Hugely Expensive,” The Stranger, November 12, 2014). See Costs and Arbitrariness.