RACE AND THE DEATH PENALTY IN CALIFORNIA
A recent study to be published in the Santa Clara Law Review found that the race of the victim in the underlying murder greatly affected whether a defendant would be sentenced to death.
Generally, there are more Hispanic and African American victims of murder in California:
–California Murder Victims 1990 – 1999 — Office of Vital Statistics; based on murders where race of victim was known; Whites, African American, and Other are non-Hispanic members of those races.
But in death penalty cases, there are many more white-victim cases than Hispanic or African-American-victim cases:
–Victims of murder in California where the defendant was sentenced to death 1990 – 1999; based on 263 death sentences where there was a single murder victim.
Conclusions from the study:
Although more Hispanics and African Americans are victims of murder in California, white-victim cases are the ones most likely to end in a death sentence:
A recent study to be published in the Santa Clara Law Review found that the race of the victim in the underlying murder greatly affected whether a defendant would be sentenced to death.
Generally, there are more Hispanic and African American victims of murder in California:
–California Murder Victims 1990 – 1999 — Office of Vital Statistics; based on murders where race of victim was known; Whites, African American, and Other are non-Hispanic members of those races.
But in death penalty cases, there are many more white-victim cases than Hispanic or African-American-victim cases:
–Victims of murder in California where the defendant was sentenced to death 1990 – 1999; based on 263 death sentences where there was a single murder victim.
Conclusions from the study:
Although more Hispanics and African Americans are victims of murder in California, white-victim cases are the ones most likely to end in a death sentence:
- Those who kill non-Latino whites are more than three times more likely to be sentenced to die as those who kill African-Americans.
- Those who kill non-Latino whites are more than four times more likely to be sentenced to die as those who kill Latinos.
- A person convicted of the same crime is more than three times more likely to be sentenced to die simply because the crime was committed in a predominantly white, rural community rather than a diverse, urban area.
Citation Guide
Arbitrariness
Nov 05, 2024
