Capital punishment has been a possibility for specific murder crimes in California for well over 100 years. Aside from the 5 years in the 1970s in which the courts found capital punishment to violate the U.S. Constitution.

The death penalty is handed down for a variety of laws that are broken--everything from treason against the state to drive-by shootings and gang related killings. It is wildly unfocused and left to the discretion of the judge assigned to the case, who regardless of professional objectivity, possesses the same biases of every human being.

While there are those who certainly seem to offer no positive influence in society, to take their life, which is supposedly theirs, according to the United States Constitution, is as criminal as the life the potentially took to receive such a sentence.

To the Justices of the California Supreme Court:

We are in need of great reform in the realm of capital punishment within the state of California. At the time of drafting this petition, there are 713 individuals currently serving time on California's "Death Row," either fighting for appeals or awaiting their fate. The reasons for which these individuals have received the sentence of death are varied.

Because of the inconsistencies in cases relating to capital punishment in the state, it would seem that it is easy to pinpoint one of the greatest issues within the criminal justice system of the state of California. While all citizens concerned for the safety and well being of their local communities would agree that many of these men and women offer no positive influence to the "outside world," an isolated punishment would seem to serve as more of a punishment, as opposed to death, which for many of these individuals seems to let them "off the hook."

The death penalty, all too often, seems to serve as a blood-lust service to victims' families, as opposed to serving a service to the state, and betterment of society. At what point does capital punishment become a more organized version of what the perpetrator most likely committed?

If killing is wrong, then killing is wrong. Why is the government allowed a pass?

Sincerely,

The Undersigned Citizens of California