Five years have passed since California voters approved Proposition 66, which introduced a range of deeply concerning measures to speed up the time between death sentence and execution.
However, the intended efficiencies have apparently not materialised; 15 years have passed since California’s last execution leaving 700 people on death row, none of whom face execution in the foreseeable future.
In this context, Los Angeles Times author Scott Martelle explores the the moral arguments for abolition and questions whether Californian voters are ready to eradicate the death penalty.
To read the opinion piece by Scott Martelle, click here.