NEW VOICES: California Moratorium Bill Gains Broad Support From Law Enforcement, Prosecutors and Judges

A group of 40 law enforcement officers, current and former prosecutors, and judges at the state and federal level have urged California lawmakers to enact a temporary halt to executions in the state while a commission examines the accuracy and fairness of the death penalty. In a letter to members of the California Assembly, the bi-partisan group of death penalty supporters and opponents wrote, “[G]iven that DNA testing and other new evidence has proven that more than 121 people who sat on death rows around the country were actually innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted, we agree that a temporary suspension of executions in California is necessary while we ensure, as much as possible, that the administration of criminal justice in this state is just, fair, and accurate.”

The legislation, Assembly Bill 1121, calls for a moratorium on executions until January 1, 2009, two years after the newly-established California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice is set to submit its findings to the legislature and Governor. The letter noted, “We believe that it is not only pragmatic, but prudent to halt executions until these recommendations can be fully considered and, if necessary, acted upon.”

Those signing the letter are listed below:

David Angel
Active Deputy District Attorney, 1995-present

Judge Michael Ballachey
Retired, Alameda County Superior Court

James J. Brosnahan
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Arizona and California, 1961-1966

Walter F. Brown, Jr.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, C. D. of California, 1989-1994

Judge LaDoris Cordell
Retired, Santa Clara County Superior Court

Ed Davis
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney N.D. California, 1974-1978

Judge Roderic Duncan
Retired, Alameda County Superior Court
Former Deputy Attorney General, 1962-1963

Jon Duree
Former Deputy Attorney General for California, 1976-1981

Bruce Enos
Former Deputy District Attorney, Sonoma County, 1977-20005

George Fisher
Former Assistant District Attorney, Middlesex County, Mass., 1987-1991
Former Assistant Massachusetts Attorney General, 1991-1992
Professor, Stanford Law School, Stanford, CA

Judge Ronald Greenberg
Retired, Alameda County Superior Court

Associate Justice Joseph Grodin
California Supreme Court, 1982-1987
Professor, UC Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, CA

Melinda Haag
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney C.D. California, 1989-1993
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney N.D. California, 1999-2003

Terrence Hallinan
Former District Attorney, City and County of San Francisco, 1995-2004

Ron Hampton
Executive Director, National Black Police Association

Donald Heller
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney E.D. California
Former Assistant District Attorney New York County
Author of the Briggs Initiative of 1978, which created
the present death penalty law in California

Sheriff Michael Hennessey
Sheriff of the City and County of San Francisco, 1979-Present

Aundré M. Herron
Former Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Jackson County, MO, 1982-1987

Judge Richard Hodge
Retired, Alameda County Superior Court

Peter M. Horstman
Former Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles County, 1995-2005

Michael J. Hroziencik
Former Deputy District Attorney, San Mateo County, 1996-2003

Peter J. Hughes
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Los Angeles and San Diego, CA
Former JAG Corp prosecuting attorney

John Jordan
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney N.D. California
Former Assistant District Attorney, Manhattan, NY

Jan David Karowsky
Former Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County, 1973-1977

Fern Laethem
Former Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County, 1976- 1979
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, E. D. of California, 1979-1980

Laurie L. Levenson
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Los Angeles, CA, 1981-1989
Professor, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA

Michael Lightfoot
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney C.D. California, 1968-1971
Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., 1964-1968

Ed Medvene
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney C.D. California, 1968-1971

Ira Reiner
Former District Attorney, Los Angeles County, 1984-1992

Judge Jennie Rhine
Retired, Alameda County Superior Court

Gordon B. Scott
Former Deputy District Attorney, Sonoma County, 1989-2000

Robin Seeley
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney N.D. California, 1993-2000

Margo D. Smith
Retired Deputy District Attorney, 1976-1979 and 1987-2005
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney N.D. California, 1979-1981

Mai Linh Spencer
Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., 1997-2002
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, D.C., 1997-1998

Carter Stewart
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney N.D. California, 2003-2005

John Taylor
Former Deputy District Attorney, Alameda County, 1967-1980
Assisted in exoneration of Aaron Owens, wrongfully convicted of double murder

Alison Tucher
Former Deputy District Attorney, Santa Clara County, 1995-1998
Attorney for Rick Walker, exonerated for murder, 2003

John Vandevelde
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney C.D. California, 1976-1980

Tony West
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney N.D. California, 1994-1999

Jon Willis
Deputy District Attorney, County of Imperial, 2002-Present
President, Imperial County District Attorneys’ Association

(Letter to the California Assembly in Support of AB 1121, January 9, 2006). See Innocence and Recent Legislative Activity.