A Joint Statement from Law Enforcement Professionals on California s Death Penalty We are current and former law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, and corrections officers who have devoted our lives to improving public safety as well as the accuracy and fairness of the criminal justice system. Having seen the system from the inside, we know that the death penalty is deeply flawed for myriad reasons. We come to this issue from a variety of perspectives. For one or more of the following reasons we have concluded that the death penalty in California is not working: 1) In a time of increasingly shrinking public safety resources, with an annual cost of at least $137 million per year in California, the death penalty is extremely expensive and diverts too many crime-fighting resources from other critical public safety needs; 2) The risk of wrongful conviction and execution cannot be entirely eliminated; 3) The system fails victims families, who are dragged through years of appeals and uncertainty; 4) The death penalty as it is currently administered is no more a deterrent to murder than permanent imprisonment; and/or 5) The vast majority of death row prisoners in California will meet the same fate as those sentenced to permanent imprisonment; they will die in prison despite the extraordinary additional expenses incurred by the taxpayers of California. Therefore, we support replacing the death penalty with effective alternatives such as permanent imprisonment. The undersigned, (Titles are for identification purposes only. Individuals are not representing their employers or organizations.) Chuck Arnold Correctional Officer, San Quentin State Prison, 3 years Elener Linda Babbitt Correctional Officer, Duell Vocational Institute, 1979-1980 Judge Michael E. Ballachey Retired, Alameda County Superior Court, 1979-1999 William E. Blackman Retired, Police Sergeant, Limerick, PA, 23 years Timothy Blackwood Deputy District Attorney, Santa Clara County, 1974-2004 Sharmin Bock
Assistant District Attorney in Charge of Special Operations & Policy Development Alameda County District Attorney's Office, 1989-2011 Rebecca Bond Juvenile Probation Officer, Maricopa County, AZ, 1978-1988 Kenneth Bond Deputy Chief Probation Officer, Maricopa County, AZ, 1971-2005 Stephen M. Boreman, Esq. Former Deputy Attorney General, 15 years Former Special Agent, FBI, 3 years Octavio Boubion Retired, Parole Agent, California Department of Corrections Patrick J. Boyd Retired, Chief Probation Officer, San Francisco Adult Probation Department, 2007-2010 Probation Manager, Santa Barbara County Probation Department, 2006-2007 Associate Warden and Parole Agent, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 1974-2006 James Brosnahan Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Arizona and California, 1961-1966 Fabian Brown Senior Deputy, San Francisco Sheriff s Department, 15 years Neola Brown-Crosby Management Analyst, Alameda County Probation, 2004-Present John Carlisle Deputy Probation Officer, 1971 2006 Mayor Pro Tem, Merced, 2007-2009 Merced City Council Member, 2009-2011 Marc Chomel Deputy District Attorney, CA, 1989 - Present Judge Kenneth Lee Chotiner Retired, Los Angeles Superior Court, CA, 1981-2001 Judge LaDoris H. Cordell Retired, Santa Clara Superior Court, CA, 1982-2001
Chris Cosca Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County, 1997-2007 Edward J. Costello, Jr. Former Special Agent, FBI, 1964-1968 Judge Pro Tem., Los Angeles Courts, CA 1971-1998 Mary Cowell Retired, Parole Agent, 1985-2002 Correctional Officer, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 1977-1985 Wendy Cromwell Deputy Sherriff, 1973-1980 911 Dispatcher, 1980 1997 Victim Advocate, 1997-2000 James Crowder Correctional Captain, 30 years Edward P. Davis, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of California, 1974-1978 Rodney Davis Deputy Attorney General, California, 1974-1983 Retired, Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal, 1989-2009 Elizabeth de la Vega Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of California, 21 years Judge Annette Debs Administrative Law Judge, CA, 1992-2010 Judge Roderic Duncan Retired, Alameda County Superior Court, CA Deputy Attorney General, California, 1962-1963 John R. Duree, Jr. Deputy Attorney General, California, 1976-1981 Sunil Dutta, PhD Lieutenant, Los Angeles Police Department, 1997- Present Judge Mark L. Eaton Retired, Alameda County Superior Court, 1982-1999 Municipal Court, 1976-1982
Judge Norbert Ehrenfreund Retired, San Diego Superior Court, 1975-1995 Deputy District Attorney, San Diego, 1960-1968 Judge Bruce Einhorn Retired, U. S. Federal Court, 1990-2007 Special Prosecutor and Chief of Litigation for the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Director, Asylum Clinic and Adjunct Professor of Law, Pepperdine University, CA Bruce G. Enos Deputy District Attorney, Sonoma County, 1977-2005 Lt. Steven Fajardo Retired, Lieutenant, Oakland Unified School District Police Dept., 2009-2011 Ohlone Community College, Chief of Police and Safety, 2003-2006 Oakland Unified School District Police Dept., 1979 2001 National Latino Peace Officers Association, 1981-Current Judge David B. Finkel Retired, Los Angeles Superior Court, 1991-2002 George Fisher* Former Assistant District Attorney, Middlesex County, Mass., 1987-1991 Former Assistant Massachusetts Attorney General, 1991-1992 Professor, Stanford Law School, Stanford, CA Myron Fuller Retired, FBI Special Agent in Charge, 1996-2001 FBI Special Agent, 1971-1996 David Fussell Deputy Sheriff, Leon County Sheiff's Department, Florida, 1978-1984 Inspector Major, FGFWFC, Florida, 1984-1986 Gil Garcetti District Attorney, Los Angeles County, 1992-2000 Deputy/Assistant District Attorney, Los Angeles County, 1968-2000 George Gascón Los Angeles Police Department, Assistant Chief, Retired, 1987-2006 Chief of Police, Meza, AZ, 2006-2009 Chief of Police, San Francisco, CA, 2009-2011 District Attorney, San Francisco, CA, 2011- Present Judge Rudolph Gerber
Assistant District Attorney, AZ, 1976-1979 Judge, Superior Court, AZ, 1979-1987 Retired, Arizona Court of Appeals, 1987-2001 Professor, University of San Diego, CA, 2009 Present Mike German Retired, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigations, 1988-2004 Judge Earle J. Gibbons Retired, Bakersfield Municipal Court, 1969-1979 Gwendolyn Gounsland Lieutenant, California Department of Corrections, 26 years Judge James P. Gray Retired, Orange County Superior Court, 1983-2009 Assistant U.S. Attorney, Los Angeles, 1975-1978 JAG Corp, U.S. Navy, 1972-1975 Karlton Green Associate Warden, Correctional Captain, California Department of Corrections, 28 years Judge Ronald Greenberg Retired, Alameda Superior Court, 1982-2000 Jospeh R. Grodin Retired, Justice, California Supreme Court, 1982-1987 Justice, California Court of Appeal, 1979-1982 Harlan G. Grossman Retired, Judge, Contra Costa County, 1991-2012 Deputy District Attorney, Contra Costa County, 1982-1991 Special Agent FBI, 1975-1982 Michael Hantman Retired, New York City Police Department, 10 years Pete Harned Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County, 1985-1996 California Department of Justice, Criminal Intelligence Division, 1978-1985 Donald H. Heller Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of California, 1973-1977 Assistant District Attorney, New York County, 1969-1973
Sheriff Michael Hennessey Sheriff of San Francisco, 32 years Aundré Herron* Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Jackson County, MO, 1982-1987 Richard G. Hirsch Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles County, 1967-1971 Steve Hodel Retired Detective III, Homicide Division, Los Angeles Police Department, 23.5 years Judge Richard A. Hodge Retired, Alameda County Superior Court, 1981-2001 Edward Hollomon Retired Sergeant, Oakland Police Department, 25 years Richard Howell Correctional Captain, California Department of Corrections, 30 years Michael Hroziencik Deputy District Attorney, San Mateo County, 1996-2003 Peter J. Hughes Assistant U.S. Attorney, Los Angeles, CA, 1957-1959 Prosecutor, U.S. Army, JAG, 1955-1957 Willie R. Jackson, Jr. Police Officer, Miami, FL, 1981-Present Gregory William Jaquart Retired, Warden, Utah Department of Corrections, 2000-2003 Correctional Officer, Utah Department of Corrections, 1979-2000 Tom Jenkins Associate Warden, 30 years Joyce Johnson Correctional Lieutenant, 30 years Ken Johnson Lieutenant, California Department of Corrections, 30 years Leonard Jones, Sr. Sergeant, California Department of Corrections, 38 years
Jan David Karowsky Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County, 1973-1977 Jack Karver Retired, Administrator, Division of Juvenile Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 1976-2006 George Kennedy District Attorney, Santa Clara County, 1990-2007 Deputy/Assistant District Attorney, Santa Clara County, 1972 1990 Kenneth R. Klopman Police Seargeant, Oxnard CA, 1987-present Peter Kmeto Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County, 1977-1978 Miriam Krinsky Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Central District of California, 1987-1988, 1990-2002 Chief, General Crimes Section, 1991-1992; Chief, Criminal Appellate Section, 1992-2002 Chair, Solicitor General s Appellate Working Group, 2000-2002 Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Maryland, 1988-1990 Fern Laethem Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County, 1976-1979 Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of California, 1979-1980 Hugh Anthony Levine Assistant District Attorney, San Francisco, 1977-1983 Assistant District Attorney, New York County, 1971-1976 Michael J. Lightfoot U.S. Attorney s Office, Los Angeles, CA, 1968-1971 Civil Rights Division, U.S. Dept of Justice, Washington DC, 1964-1968 Christopher M. Loverro Retired, Police Officer, Berkeley, CA, 1998-2008 John Lum Former Chief Probation Officer, San Luis Obispo County, 1994-2001 Kathy Marousek Deputy District Attorney, Fresno County, 1994-2005 Richard L. Martinez
Program Administrator, San Quentin Prison, California Department of Corrections, 1969-1988 Alana Mathews-Davis* Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County, 2004-2012 Ron McAndrew Warden, Florida State Prison, 1978-1997 Warden, Central Florida Reception Center, 1997 2005 Judge Donald McCartin Retired, Orange County Superior Court, 1978-1993 Raymond McKeon Retired, Police Captain, South San Francisco, 1960-1989 Pamela Merchant Former Special Counsel, Department of Justice, State of California, 2001-2004 Former Senior Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, 1992-1999 Former Asst. Attorney General, Massachusetts, 1986-1988 Michael R. Mitchell Warden, Wyoming Department of Corrections, 1998-2004 Captain, Utah Dept. of Corrections, 1977-1998 Reserve Police Officer, San Diego Police Department, CA, Retired Jennifer Mouzis Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County, 1998-2007 Michael D. Nasatir Assistant U.S. Attorney, Central District of California, 1966-1969 William D. Nyberg Correctional Administrator, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 28 years Correctional Captain, San Quentin Prison, in charge of death row for 10 years Anne T. O Dell Retired, San Diego Police Department, Detective Sergeant, 1975-1995 Joseph Ossmann Parole Administrator, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 1989-2007 Thomas Parker Retired, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Los Angeles Bureau, 1970-1994 Police Officer, Santa Clara, CA, 1966-1970 Charles Patterson*
Assistant U.S. Attorney, 1970 Prosecutor, United States Marine Corps, 1967-1969 Jim Petro Attorney General of Ohio, 2003-2007 Auditor of the State of Ohio, 1995-2003 Ohio General Assembly, 1981-1991 Horatious B. Petty Retired Sergeant, Oakland Police Department, 26 years Probation Officer, CA, 7 years Matt Powers Retired, Deputy Chief, Sacramento Police Department, 1977-2000 Judge Raul A. Ramirez Retired, Federal District Court, California, 1980-1990 Superior Court Judge, 1979-1980 Municipal Court Judge, 1977-1979 Judge Henry Ramsey, Jr. Retired, Alameda County Superior Court, CA, 1981-1991 Deputy District Attorney, Contra Costa County, 1964-1966 Ismail Ramsey Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of California, 1999-2003 Abdul H. Razzaic Retired, California Correctional Officer California Probation Officer Reginald Reese Retired, California Department of Corrections, Captain, 28 years Kathryn A. Reese Retired, California Department of Corrections, Supervising Counselor II, 29 years Paulett Reynolds Deputy Sherriff, 30 years Judge Jennie Rhine Retired, Alameda County Superior Court, 1989-2001 Anthony D. Ribera Chief, San Francisco Police Department, 1992-1996 San Francisco Police Department, 1968-1996
Gina Robles Former Santa Barbara County Commissioner of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission, 4 years Alberto Rodriguez Former Homicide Detective, San Antonio Police Dept., 1962-1973 FBI Agent, 1973-1979 Felony Prosecutor, 1988-1993 Raymond Samuels Interim Police Chief, Lodi, CA, 2011 Interim Police Chief, Menlo Park, CA, 2010 Police Chief, Newark Police Department, CA, 2003-2008 Police Officer, 1975-2008 Judge H. Lee Sarokin Retired, U.S. District Court and U.S. Court of Appeal, 17 years Judge Harold Shabo Retired, Los Angeles Superior Court, CA Karyn Sinunu-Towery County Prosecutor, California, 1986-Present Judge James M. Slater Santa Barbara County Superior Court, 1982-1997 Santa Barbara County Municipal Court, 1977-1982 Deputy District Attorney, Santa Barbara County, 1965-1966 Judge Norman Spellberg Retired, Contra Costa Superior Court, 1980-1991 Municipal Court, 1976-1980 Mai Linh Spencer* Former Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, D.C., 1997-2002 Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, D.C., 1997-1998 Darryl Stallworth Deputy District Attorney, Alameda County, CA, 1992-2007 Norm Stamper, Ph.D. Seattle Chief of Police, 1994 2000 San Diego Police Department, 1966 1994
Erol A. Stewart Police Officer, Miramar, FL, 29 years Judge James F. Stiven Retired, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, 1996 2006 Marvina Strong Los Angeles Police Department, 1981-1992 Orange County District Attorney s Office, Investigator, 1992-2005 Steven Strong Los Angeles Police Department, 1975-1987 Los Angeles Police Department, Detective, 1987-1995 Morgan C. Taylor Deputy District Attorney, Monterey County, 1987-1990 Assistant District Attorney, Santa Cruz County, 1991-2006 Gerald Uelmen Assistant U.S. Attorney, Central District of California, 1966-1970 John Van de Kamp California Attorney General, 1983-1991 District Attorney, Los Angeles, CA, 1975-1983 John Vandevelde Assistant U.S. Attorney, Central District of California, Assistant Chief, Criminal Division, 1976-1980 Jeffrey J. Wells Sacramento Police Department, 5 years Sacramento Sheriff's Department, 5 years TSA Agent for Homeland Security, 1 year Eric Williams Michigan State Police, 1972-1973 Investigator, Office of the Federal Public Defender, Los Angeles, 1990-2011 Jonathan L. Willis Deputy District Attorney, Imperial County, 2002-2009, Retired David Winett Associate Warden, California Department of Corrections, 1985-2004 Jeanne Woodford Former Warden of San Quentin State Prison Former Director, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Chief Probation Officer, San Francisco Adult Probation Department