Washington Governor Suspends State's Death Penalty - Cites Data Showig Death Penality Is Not Being Equally Applied

Cut This: The Death Penalty (Illustration by ACLU-NC)

By Maria L. La Ganga
Declaring that he is "not convinced equal justice is being served" by the death penalty as it is carried out today, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday declared a moratorium on carrying out executions.

Inslee did not commute the sentences of prisoners on death row or issue pardons. Instead, he said in a written statement, if a death penalty case comes to him for action, he will issue a reprieve.

"Equal justice under the law is the state's primary responsibility," Inslee said. "The use of the death penalty in this state is unequally applied, sometimes dependent on the budget of the county where the crime occurred."

According to the governor's office, most Washington state death penalty sentences are overturned and executions are rarely carried out, "indicating questionable sentencing in many cases."

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