Should California elect a governor who can't decide about the death penalty? |
Should California elect a governor who can’t decide about the death penalty?
“Did you ever have to make up your mind to pick up on one and leave the other behind?” So starts a very popular 1960s rock and roll song.
As the California gubernatorial primary comes to a close, the leading Democratic candidate’s position on the death penalty remains unclear. Xavier Becerra owes the residents of the Golden State — and the rest of the nation — an explanation of what he will do on that issue if he is elected.
Should he become governor, Becerra will have enormous discretion in determining the future direction of the state when it comes to the death penalty, as well as the fate of those under a sentence of death. He will have to decide whether to continue the execution moratorium imposed by current Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and whether to grant clemency to anyone who is convicted of committing a capital crime.
After Gov. Jerry Brown nominated Becerra to serve as the state’s top law enforcement officer, Becerra said, “I support the death penalty, but I hate the way it’s being executed.” As attorney general, he put aside his qualms and moved forward with existing capital prosecutions, initiated new prosecutions, and defended cases on appeal, sometimes with unusual vigor.
For example, in 2017, Becerra sought a death sentence in the case of a man who killed eight people at a beauty salon. In another case, he pushed forward with the prosecution of Robert Lewis, even though Lewis was intellectually disabled. The Intercept reported that Becerra went along with........