Federal judge declared California's death penalty unconstitutional - 748 CA inmates on Death Row

This is a partial REPRINT of the SF Gate.  See SF Article

See also the LA times article.

A federal judge declared California's death penalty unconstitutional Wednesday, saying delays of 25 years or more in deciding appeals and carrying out occasional executions have created an arbitrary and irrational system that serves no legitimate purpose.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney of Santa Ana was limited to a single case and had no immediate impact on executions statewide, which have been halted by federal courts since 2006 because of multiple problems in lethal injection procedures.

But if upheld on appeal, the decision would end a California capital punishment system that has been approved by the voters three times - in 1972, 1978 and 2012, when an initiative to abolish the death penalty lost by four percentage points. Despite voter sentiment, the death penalty in California has rarely been implemented in recent decades.

The state has the nation's largest Death Row, with 748 inmates, and its lowest execution rate, with 13 inmates put to death since 1992.

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STAY TUNE: This case has the potential to be a very important one for CA Death Row inmate.

 

          (San Quentin being the major housing for the Death row inmate in CA)

ANNUAL LIFER BBQ at City Buena Park - Fun had by ALL

The second annual lifer picnic sponsored by Eccher and Chandler Consulting (that would be Gary “Red” Eccher and Keith Chandler, both former LIFERs) gets better every year, with the typical hot dog and burger BBQ style and with the additional bonus food from pizza to fried chicken, a long list of Veggies too (on the healthier side of snacks) great weather with a cool breezes in a typical Southern Sunny California day.

I can not say it better than (LSA) Vanessa Sloane: "Some parolees had been out only a few days, some several years, but all were united by the fellowship only earned through surviving the crucible of prison and parole."

                Sister Mary Sean (PREP program), Attorney Diane Letarte and Vanessa Sloane (LSA)

                                                   Do you recognize any of these LIFERs?
                                           If you have been to AVENAL, 5 YARD - you might?
                                These were some of the "Former Resident" as we like to call them!
                                        

                     Even our Friendly LIFER Companion watch intensively the Ad Hoc Football game

                                       LIFER's Football game at Buena City Park Annual BBQ

        (FRONT row):  Diane Letarte, Marc Norton, (not pictured Debbie Page and Jared Einsentat)
                              A number of Lifer Attorneys attended the party sponsored by (ECC).
                                (BACK row):  Gary "Red" Eccher and Keith Chandler Consulting)


                  STAY tune for a BLOG posting on
                  UPCOMING: Elderly Hearing and Expanded Medical Release

PLATA (COLEMAN) THREE-JUDGE Federal COURT: (CDCR) Defendants' May 2014 update

 

DEFENDANTS’ MAY 2014 STATUS REPORT  IN RESPONSE TO FEBRUARY 10, 2014 PLATA ORDER,  is submitted by CDCR's General Counsel and summarized below.

 

The State submits Monthly status reports on the current in-state and out-of-state adult prison populations and the measures being taken to reduce the prison population in response to the Court’s February 10, 2014 Order Request for Extension of December 31, 2013 Deadline. 

 

Steps CDCR (Defendants) are taking to implement the measures designed to reduce the prison population detailed in the February 10, 2014 order and the status of these measures.

 

1. Contracting for additional in-state capacity in county jails, community correctional

facilities, and private prison(s).

 

2. Re-entry Hubs:  The State has activated ten (10) prison-based reentry hubs at Avenal State Prison, California Institution for Men, California Men's Colony, Correctional Training Facility, ChuckawallaValley State Prison, Ironwood State Prison, Substance Abuse Treatment Facility at Corcoran, California Institution for Women, Central California Women's Facility, and Folsom Women’s Facility.

 

3. Newly-enacted legislation: SB260 (Youth Offender hearing) and P36 (Three strikes, re-sentencing for certain qualifying third-strike inmates whose third strike was not serious or violent)

 

 4. Prospective credit-earning increase for non-violent, non-sex second-strike offenders and minimum custody inmates.

 

5.  New parole determination process whereby non-violent second-strikers will be eligible

for parole consideration by BPH once having served 50% of their sentence.

 

6.  Parole determination process for certain inmates with indeterminate sentences granted parole with future parole dates. BPH authorizes the release of inmates who are granted parole with future dates and continues to identify additional potentially eligible inmates who have already been found suitable for parole by BPH.

 

7.  Parole process for medically incapacitated inmates. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), in partnership with the federal Plata Receiver, is responsible for health care services to all inmate patients. GOOD NEWS: The Receiver’s Office is beginning to review inmates and has agreed to send completed recommendations to CDCR beginning this month. 

 

8.  Parole process for inmates 60 years of age or older having served at least 25 years.

 

9.  Re-entry program Governor's May revision of the Fiscal Year 2014/2015 budget increased the proposed funding for the expansion of reentry programs from $40 million to $49 million - Budget not passed yet.

 

10. Expanded alternative custody program for females: The State expects to bring an 82 bed facility in San Diego on line in the summer of 2014.