Governor Places Moratorium on Death Penalty in California Yesterday, Governor Newsom issued a moratorium on the death penalty in California, signaling his strong and courageous commitment to criminal justice reform. As of 2018, there have been 164 death row exonerations nationwide, 5 of those in California. Racial disparities are prevalent in these wrongful convictions - 58% of exonerees in California were African American or Latino. The Northern California Innocence Project (NCIP) believes that we cannot and should not have the death penalty. Our work demonstrates a chilling reason why – several of our exonerated clients faced the death penalty before they were proven innocent. NCIP works to ensure the criminal justice system is fair, effective, and protects the rights of the innocent. We applaud Governor Newsom's action and stand behind his commitment to reform. |