California currently has 564 inmates on death row, and gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra is weighing in on the state’s death penalty in the wake of Christa Pike’s botched execution in Tennessee.
Among the inmates are some high-profile cases, like Scott Peterson, who was convicted in 2004 for the murder of his wife, Laci, who was pregnant at the time, and Charles Ng, a serial killer found guilty of 11 counts of first-degree murder. Peterson’s death sentence was overturned in 2020, resulting in a sentence of life without parole.
The issue of the death penalty regained attention following the failed execution of Pike, who required hospitalization after two doses of the potent sedative Pentobarbital failed to kill her.
According to her lawyer, Pike is critically ill but not in a coma, though she remained unconscious as of Thursday afternoon. Pike was sentenced to death for torturing and murdering 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer back in 1995.
When the Becerra campaign was asked about his position on the death penalty in light of these events, a spokesperson pointed to a previous tweet. In it, Becerra expressed support for Governor Gavin Newsom’s moratorium on executions, describing it as a vital step toward a fairer justice system.
He further stated, “As Governor, I will extend California’s moratorium on executions and continue moving our state away from a costly, flawed system that disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities and too often gets it wrong.”
California hasn’t executed anyone since 2006, despite having the largest death row population in the United States. Newsom initiated a moratorium on executions in 2019.
In response to the Pike incident, Newsom’s office reiterated its stance against the death penalty, highlighting its discriminatory nature and the financial waste involved. The governor has been vocal about his opposition since his first year in office.
Becerra’s opponent, Steve Hilton, a Republican, mentioned that while he personally opposes the death penalty, he wouldn’t support extending the moratorium due to voter preferences. In fact, California voters rejected Proposition 62, which aimed to abolish the death penalty, and instead approved Proposition 66, intended to accelerate the execution process.
Hilton remarked, “I don’t think it’s OK for a governor to just substitute their personal opinion on an issue where the voters had an explicit and direct say.”
Even with the moratorium in place, California prosecutors are still allowed to pursue death sentences. Since the last execution in 2006, over 200 individuals have received death sentences in the state.
