Legal News

Less than a third of DAs tell how they decide to seek death penalty

By Jason Siegel

When two Pepperdine law professors surveyed the state's 58 district attorneys about how they decide to seek the death penalty, only 14 responded, KPCC reported.(LISTEN)

Los Angeles Dist. Attny. gave a thorough response, but the DAs in San Diego, Riverside and Orange Counties were among the 20 who didn't respond at all, the Los Angeles Times reported. Fourteen others district attorneys indicated that they wouldn't participate and the rest gave limited responses.

The professors, speaking at last Wednesday's meeting of the state Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, recommended the state collect demographic information about defendants and victims in death penalty prosecutions.

While the president of the California District Attorney's Association says race plays no role in a DA's decision, a study published in the Santa Clara Law Review Defendants found people convicted of killing whites in California received the death penalty almost four times as much as those who killed blacks and nearly five times as much as those Latinos.

Also, prosecutors recommended quicker appeals and amending the state Constitution to let the state Supreme Court move the initial review of cases to state appeals courts, the Los Angeles Times reported. Defense attorneys disagreed and recommended making a list of crimes that qualify for the death penalty and giving more money to defense attorneys for accused killers.

Another hearing by the group will be held on March 28 in Santa Clara.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on February 25, 2008 (boomark / email).