Civil rights groups are targeting the use of California’s death penalty alleging it is racially discriminatory. The ACLU and the Office of the State Public Defender among other groups are filing a petition with the state Supreme Court. They contend the death penalty is unconstitutional and it disproportionately affects black and brown people. The lawsuit alleges the equal protection guarantees in the state constitution are violated because courts and prosecutors apply the death penalty in a racially-biased way. Lisa Romo of the State Public Defender’s office told the Sacramento Bee that new studies show a disparity in how the penalty is applied to blacks and whites. In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order placing a moratorium on state executions.
Civil Rights Groups Seeks to Erase California’s Death Penalty Over Racial Discrimination
