OREGON GOVERNOR JOHN KITZHABER SUSPENDS THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY

Oregon governor John Kitzhaber suspended the scheduled execution of Gary Haugen and he vowed to do the same for any other planned execution during his term of office. He called the death penalty morally wrong and promised to fight to change Oregon law to abolish the death penalty. Furthermore he said the system is expensive and unworkable.

Two men have been executed in Oregon since it reinstated the death penalty in 1984. Both of the executions occurred during Kizhhaber’s first term in office. As in the case of Haugen both of the prior executions happened after the men requested that no further appeals occur and requested execution. The system is so backlogged that no one has lived to complete the appeals and to be executed.

The trend in this country is certainly away from using the death penalty. In the last four years New Jersey, Illinois and New Mexico have abolished the death penalty. Nationwide the number of executions are decreasing. Last year 112 people were sentenced to death.while in the 1990′s there were approximately 300 each year. Last year there were only 46 people executed. The abolition of the death penalty may be on the California ballot. Maryland and Connecticut are also considering measures to end executions.