California Proposition 62 (2016)

Last updated
Proposition 62
Repeal of Death Penalty
Results
Votes%
Yes check.svg Yes6,361,78846.85%
X mark.svg No7,218,62553.15%
Valid votes13,580,41392.95%
Invalid or blank votes1,030,0967.05%
Total votes14,610,509100.00%
Registered voters/turnout19,411,77175.27%
Source: California Secretary of State [1]

Proposition 62 was a California ballot proposition on the November 8, 2016, ballot that would have repealed the death penalty and replaced it with life imprisonment and forced labor without possibility of parole. It would have applied retroactively to existing death sentences and increased the portion of life inmates' wages that may be applied to victim restitution. [2]

California ballot proposition statewide referendum item in California

In California, a ballot proposition can be a referendum or an initiative measure that is submitted to the electorate for a direct decision or direct vote. If passed, it can alter one or more of the articles of the Constitution of California, one or more of the 29 California Codes, or another law in the California Statutes by clarifying current or adding statute(s) or removing current statute(s).

Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is a government-sanctioned practice whereby a person is killed by the state as a punishment for a crime. The sentence that someone be punished in such a manner is referred to as a death sentence, whereas the act of carrying out the sentence is known as an execution. Crimes that are punishable by death are known as capital crimes or capital offences, and they commonly include offences such as murder, mass murder, terrorism, treason, espionage, offenses against the State, such as attempting to overthrow government, piracy, drug trafficking, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, but may include a wide range of offences depending on a country. Etymologically, the term capital in this context alluded to execution by beheading.

Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted persons are to remain in prison either for the rest of their natural life or until paroled. Crimes for which, in some countries, a person could receive this sentence include murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, blasphemy, apostasy, terrorism, severe child abuse, rape, child rape, espionage, treason, high treason, drug dealing, drug trafficking, drug possession, human trafficking, severe cases of fraud, severe cases of financial crimes, aggravated criminal damage in English law, and aggravated cases of arson, kidnapping, burglary, or robbery which result in death or grievous bodily harm, piracy, aircraft hijacking, and in certain cases genocide, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, certain war crimes or any three felonies in case of three strikes law. Life imprisonment can also be imposed, in certain countries, for traffic offenses causing death. The life sentence does not exist in all countries, and Portugal was the first to abolish life imprisonment, in 1884.

Contents

Proposition 62 was rejected by voters in the November general election, with only 46.9% voting to end executions. [3] Proposition 66 was approved by voters in the same election, with 51.1% voting to speed up executions. [3] If voters had passed both Proposition 62 and Proposition 66, then the measure with the most "Yes" votes would have taken effect. [4]

Proposition 62 was estimated to reduce state spending by $150 million a year. [4] Proponents spent $8.9 million fighting for Proposition 62, with the top contribution being $1.5 million from Stanford University professor Nick McKeown. [4] Other top contributing proponents include Tom Steyer, Reed Hastings, John Doerr, and Paul Graham. [4] The measure was supported by the editorial boards of the Los Angeles Times , [5] the San Francisco Chronicle , [6] and The Sacramento Bee . [7] Opponents spent $4.4 million fighting against Proposition 62, with the top contribution being $498,303 from the California prison guards’ union. [4] Other top contributing opponents include the California Highway Patrolmen’s union, and the LAPD police union. [4]

Stanford University private research university located in Stanford, California, United States

Leland Stanford Junior University is an American private research university in Stanford, California. Stanford is known for its academic strength, wealth, proximity to Silicon Valley, and ranking as one of the world's top universities.

Nick McKeown British engineer

Nicholas (Nick) William McKeown FREng, is a professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments at Stanford University. He has also started technology companies in Silicon Valley.

Tom Steyer American philanthropist and former hedge fund manager

Thomas Fahr Steyer is an American billionaire hedge fund manager, philanthropist, environmentalist, liberal activist, and fundraiser.

A September 2016 poll from USC Dornsife / Los Angeles Times showed 40% percent of registered voters in favor of Proposition 62, 51% opposed, and 9% unknown. [8]

University of Southern California Private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States

The University of Southern California is a private research university in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1880, it is the oldest private research university in California. For the 2018–19 academic year, there were 20,000 students enrolled in four-year undergraduate programs. USC also has 27,500 graduate and professional students in a number of different programs, including business, law, engineering, social work, and medicine.

<i>Los Angeles Times</i> Daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California

The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper which has been published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It has the fourth-largest circulation among United States newspapers, and is the largest U.S. newspaper not headquartered on the East Coast. The paper is known for its coverage of issues particularly salient to the U.S. West Coast, such as immigration trends and natural disasters. It has won more than 40 Pulitzer Prizes for its coverage of these and other issues. As of June 18, 2018, ownership of the paper is controlled by Patrick Soon-Shiong, and the executive editor is Norman Pearlstine.

History

After the Supreme Court of California abolished the death penalty in People v. Anderson (1972), California voters restored capital punishment in California with California Proposition 17 (1972). [4] However, since 1978, California has executed only 13 prisoners, while the population on death row has increased to 750. [4] No prisoner has been executed since 2006, when a federal judge put a hold on the lethal injection procedure the state was using. [4] Abolition of the death penalty through California Proposition 34, 2012 was rejected by 52% of voters. [4]

Supreme Court of California the highest court in the U.S. state of California

The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court in the courts of the State of California. It resides in the State Building in San Francisco in Civic Center overlooking Civic Center Square along with City Hall. It also holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.

The People of the State of California v. Robert Page Anderson, 493 P.2d 880, 6 Cal. 3d 628, was a landmark case in the state of California that outlawed the use of capital punishment. It was subsequently overruled by a state constitutional amendment, called Proposition 17.

Capital punishment in California

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in the U.S. state of California. As of March 2019, further executions are halted by an official moratorium ordered by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The path to the ballot started when Mike Farrel, an American actor and activist, wrote a title and ballot summary on September 15, 2015. A title and summary was then issued by California attorney general's office on November 19, 2015. For a ballot to be qualified, 365,880 valid signatures are needed. On May 2, 2016, petitioners submitted the signatures to county officials. The deadline to submit the required signatures was May 17, 2016. Sponsors of the measure hired PCI Consultants, Inc. to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $3,192,775.30 was spent to collect the 365,880 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $8.73. [9]

Mike Farrell American actor

Michael Joseph Farrell Jr. is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series M*A*S*H (1975–83). He is also an activist and public speaker for various political causes.

A ballot title is the official, short, summary of a ballot measure that appears on the ballot. The goal of a good ballot title is to be a neutral summary that accurately conveys to voters the gist of what the proposed new law says or would do. The National Conference of State Legislatures says, "The ballot title and summary are arguably the most important part of an initiative in terms of voter education. Most voters never read more than the title and summary of the text of initiative proposals. Therefore, it is of critical importance that titles and summaries be concise, accurate and impartial."

Attorney General of California Attorney General of California, United States

The Attorney General of California is the state attorney general of the Government of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice. The Department employs over 1,100 attorneys and 3,700 non-attorney employees.

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References

  1. ↑ "Statement of Vote - November 8, 2016, General Election". December 16, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Proposition 62. California General Election November 8, 2016. Official Voter Information Guide". California Secretary of State. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 Miller, Jim (9 November 2016). "California votes to keep death penalty". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Shafer, Scott. "Election 2016: Proposition 62". KQED News. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  5. ↑ The Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Times (3 September 2016). "Props 62 and 66: California voters should end the death penalty, not speed it up". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  6. ↑ The Editorial Board of the San Francisco Chronicle (25 August 2016). "Fight crime, not futility: Abolish death penalty". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  7. ↑ The Editorial Board of the Sacramento Bee (7 October 2016). "End the illusion: Abolish the death penalty". The Sacramento Bee . Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  8. ↑ "USC-Dornsife/LA Times Poll". USC Dornsife September 2016 Poll. September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "California Proposition 62, Repeal of the Death Penalty (2016) - Ballotpedia" . Retrieved 2016-10-11.
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