Executions in California are carried out at the San Quentin State Prison. The gas chamber once used for the purpose of capital punishment has since been converted to an execution chamber by lethal injection. Two chairs once sat where the restraining table is now located.

Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in the U.S. state of California. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Punishment is the practice of imposing something unpleasant or aversive on a person or animal usually in response to disobedient or morally wrong behavior A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The first recorded execution in the area that is now California was on April 11, 1778 when four Native Americans were shot in San Diego County for conspiracy to commit murder. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 1778 ( MDCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States In the Criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between Natural persons to break the law at some time in the future and in some cases with at least one overt act These were the first of 709 executions before the Furman v. Georgia decision of the United States Supreme Court. Furman v Georgia, was a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled on the requirement for a degree of consistency in the application of the death penalty The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Since 1976, 13 people have been executed by the state. As of October 21, 2007 there are 667 people on "Death Row". Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Death row is a term that refers to the section of a Prison that houses individuals awaiting execution.

History

Four methods have been used historically for executions. Up until just before California was admitted into the Union, executions were carried by firing squad. Execution by firing squad is a method of Capital punishment, particularly common in times of war Then in 1849, hanging was adopted as the method of choice (except for two Native Americans shot in December 1851 and January 1852).

The penal code was modified on February 14, 1872 to state that hangings were to take place inside the confines of the county jail or other private places. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The only people allowed to be present were the sheriff of the county, a physician, the District Attorney of the county, who would select at least 12 "reputable citizens". SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. A district attorney (DA is in some US jurisdictions the title of the local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of alleged criminals No more than two "ministers of the gospel" and no more than five people selected by the condemned could also be present.

Executions were moved to the state level in 1889 when the law was modified so that hangings would take place in at one of the State Prisons — San Quentin State Prison and Folsom State Prison. San Quentin State Prison is located on 432 acres (17 km² on Point San Quentin in Marin County, California, United States, north of San Francisco Folsom State Prison (FSP is one of 33 prisons operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR According to the California Department of Corrections, although there was no law providing which prison was chosen by the trial judge, it was customary for recidivists to be sent to Folsom. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR is responsible for the operation of the California state Corrections, rehabilitation, Recidivism ( IPA: /ɹɪˈsɪdɪvɪzm̩/ From recidive + ism, from Latin recidīvus "recurring" from re- Under these new laws, the first execution at San Quentin was Jose Gabriel on March 3, 1893 for murder. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The first hanging at Folsom was Han Chin also for murder on December 13, 1895. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year A total of 215 inmates were hanged at San Quentin and a total of 92 were hanged at Folsom.

California adopted the gas chamber as its sole method in 1937 (though two more hangings took place for people already sentenced). A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing consisting of a sealed chamber into which a Poisonous or Asphyxiant gas is introduced The first people to die in the San Quentin gas chamber (the only one in the state) were Albert Kessell and Robert Cannon on December 2, 1938. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Three more people had their death sentences carried out within a fortnight. Up until 1967, 194 people were executed by lethal gas, including four women. The last person was Aaron Mitchell on April 12, 1967. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar.

The Supreme Court of California ruled in People v. Anderson that the current death penalty laws were unconstitutional and oversaw the commutting of 107 death sentences in the state in 1972. The Supreme Court of California is the State supreme court in California. The People of the State of California v Robert Page Anderson, 493 P This included such people as Sirhan Sirhan and Charles Manson. Sirhan Bishara Sirhan (born March 19, 1944) is the convicted Assassin of United States Senator Robert F Following the ruling, the California Constitution was modified. The Constitution of the State of California is the document that establishes and describes the duties powers structure and function of the Government of the U The statute was also modified to make the death penalty mandatory for a number of crimes including first degree murder in specific instances, kidnapping where a person dies, train wrecking where a person dies, treason against the state, and assault by a life prisoner if the victim dies within a year.

In a later decision in 1976, the Supreme Court of California again held the death penalty statute was unconstitutional as it did not allow the defendant to enter mitigating evidence. A further 70 prisoners had their sentences commutted following this. The next year, the statute was modified to deal with these issues. Life imprisonment without possibility of parole was also added as a punishment for capital offenses. The last change to the statute was in 1978 after Proposition 7 passed. This gave an automatic appeal to the Supreme Court of California, who would directly affirm or reverse the sentence and conviction without going through an intermediate appeal to the California Courts of Appeal. The California Courts of Appeal are the state intermediate appellate courts in the U (The state supreme court is currently sponsoring a proposed state constitutional amendment that would allow the assignment of capital appeals to the Courts of Appeal to alleviate the backlog of capital appeal cases. )

The latest change of method came in January 1993, when the lethal injection was given as a choice for people sentenced to death. David Mason chose to die of lethal injection, because he wanted to suffer for his crimes. This was changed in 1994 to have lethal injection as the default method. The first person executed under these new laws was William Bonin on 23 February 1996. William George Bonin ( 8 January 1947 &ndash 23 February 1996) was an American Serial killer, also known as “the Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) 13 people have been executed since California reinstated the death penalty in 1977, but 56 others have died on death row of other causes, including 14 of suicide (since 10/25/2007). ^[1]

In February 2006, a de facto moratorium on capital punishment was enforced in California as the state was unable to obtain the services of a licensed medical professional to carry out the execution of Michael Morales. Michael Angelo Morales (born October 17, 1959) is a convicted murderer who was scheduled to be executed by the State of California at 730 p The occurrence came as a result of an injunction made by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals which held that an execution could only be carried out by a medical technician legally authorized to administer IV medications. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts The lethal injection procedure, if wrongfully performed, could lead to suffering for the condemned, potentially constituting cruel and unusual punishment. ^[2]

Current legislation

Method

Under the California Penal Code § 3604:

"The punishment of death shall be inflicted by the administration of a lethal gas or by an intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death…"

If the prisoner does not make a decision on the method, then the default is given as lethal injection.

The choice is a moot point, as in October 1994, a United States federal judge ruled that the gas chamber was an unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment, and this was upheld by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in February 1996. In the United States the title of federal judge usually refers to a Judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts

Capital offenses

The penal code provides for possible capital punishment in:

• treason, defined as levying war against the state, adhering to its enemies, or giving them aid and comfort. In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation. ^[3]
• perjury causing execution of an innocent person^[4]
• first-degree murder with special circumstances^[5]
  • for financial gain
  • the defendant had previously been convicted of first or second degree murder
  • multiple murders
  • committed using explosives
  • to avoid arrest or aiding in escaping custody
  • the victim was an on-duty peace officer; federal law enforcement officer or agent; or firefighter
  • the victim was a witness to a crime and the murder was committed to avoid them testifying
  • the victim was a prosecutor or assistant prosecutor; judge or former judge; elected or appointed official; juror; and the murder was in retaliation for the victim's official duties
  • the murder was "especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity"
  • the murderer lay in wait for the victim
  • the victim was intentionally killed because of their race, religion, nationality, or country of origin
  • the murder was committed during the commissioning of robbery; kidnapping; rape; sodomy; performance of a lewd or lascivious act upon the person of a child under the age of 14 years; oral copulation; burglary; arson; train wrecking; mayhem; rape by instrument; carjacking; torture; poisoning
  • the defendant is an active member of a criminal street gang and was to further the activities of the gang
  • the murder was committed by discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle
• train wrecking which leads to a person's death. Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under Oath or Affirmation in a Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries Contract killing occurs when a private contractor or a government hires someone to kill a specific person or people for a sum of money An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the investigation and prevention of crime A law enforcement officer (also called peace officer) in North America, is any public-sector person charged with upholding the peace, mainly Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous Fires that threaten civilian populations and property to rescue people from car accidents collapsed A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about a Crime or dramatic event through their Senses (e The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the Common law Adversarial system, or the civil law A judge, or justice, is an Official who presides over a Court of law A jury a sworn body of persons convened to render a rational, impartial Verdict (a finding of fact on a question officially submitted to them Cruelty can be described as indifference to Suffering, and even positive Pleasure in inflicting it An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors (the ambushing force use Concealment to attack a passing enemy The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty Country of origin is the country of manufacture production or growth where an article or product comes from Robbery is the Crime of seizing Property through Violence or Intimidation. In Criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or Asportation of a person against the person's will usually to hold the person in False imprisonment Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person Sodomy (ˈsɒdəmi is a term used today predominantly in Law (derived from traditional Christian usage to describe the act of Anal intercourse, Oral intercourse In general use lascivious is synonymous with Lustful ' or lewd. Oral sex refers to sexual activities involving the use of the Mouth, and may include use of the Tongue, Teeth, and Throat, in order Mayhem, under the Common law of crimes, consisted of the intentional and wanton removal of a body part that would handicap a person's ability to defend himself in Carjacking is a Crime of stealing a motor vehicle when the vehicle is occupied Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by Gangsters redirects here For the computer game see Gangsters (video game. A train wreck most often occurs as a result of an accident such as when a Train wheel jumps off a track in a Derailment, or miscommunication as when a ^[6]

Public opinion

The Field Research Corporation found in February 2004 that when asked how they personally felt about capital punishment, 68% supported it and 31% opposed it (6% offered no opinion). This was a fall from 72% two years previous, and a rise from 63% in 2000. The 2004 poll was asked about the time that Kevin Cooper had his execution stayed hours before his scheduled death after 20 years on Death Row. Kevin Cooper is a Death Row inmate in California 's San Quentin Prison.

When asked if they thought the death penalty generally fair and free of error in California, 58% agreed and 32% disagreed (11% offered no opinion). When the results were broken down along ethnicity, of the people who identified themselves as African American, 57% disagreed that the death penalty was fair and free of error. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa

Post-Gregg executions

A total of 13 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of California since 1976. All were by lethal injection, except for those indicated by an asterisk which were by gas chamber. A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing consisting of a sealed chamber into which a Poisonous or Asphyxiant gas is introduced

See also

• Capital punishment in the United States

Notes

1. ^ Condemned Inmates Who Have Died Since 1977
2. ^ Death Penalty Moratorium in California
3. ^ California Penal Code § 37
4. ^ California Penal Code § 128
5. ^ California Penal Code § 190
6. ^ California Penal Code § 219

References

• Inmates Executed, 1978 to Present. Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( German ˌaɐnɔlt aloʏs ˈʃvaɐtsənɛɡɐ born July 30 1947 is an Austrian American Bodybuilder, Actor Capital punishment of a Felon in the United States, in modern times is employed and in practice only in cases involving murder California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR is responsible for the operation of the California state Corrections, rehabilitation, Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days
• Executions in California 1778–1967
• Capital Punishment Information from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
• "Two-thirds of California voters favor the death penalty, But a sizeable minority believe it has not been fairly implemented (PDF)", Field Research Corporation, March 5, 2004. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR is responsible for the operation of the California state Corrections, rehabilitation, Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "