| |
 |
| Death
Penalty: |
YES |
| Prohibit
Execution of the Mentally Retarded: |
YES. However, this state will need to redefine its definition of mental retardation to conform to the recent United States Supreme Court decision Atkins v. Virginia, which held that it is a violation of the United States Constitution to execute persons with an IQ of less than 70. |
| Life
Without Parole: |
YES |
| Minimum
Age to Eligible for the Death Penalty: |
18 |
| Number
on Death Row: |
12 |
| Executions
Since 1976: |
4 |
| Race
of Defendants: |
7 white (58%), 5 black (42%) |
| Race
of Victims: |
unknown |
| Racial
Make-up of State Population: |
82% white, 8% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 3% black, 2% Native American |
| Innocents
Exonerated: |
YES (1)- Benjamin Harris spent 12 years on death row before being released in 1997. |
| Columbia
University Study Rate of Error in Capital Cases: |
Overall rate of error is unknown due to a lack of data on the state post-conviction appeal level. Excluding that level, the overall error rate is 63%. |
| Murder
Rate: |
3 per 100,000 (ranked 37th out of 51) |
| Governor: |
Gary Locke, (Democrat),
|
| Presidential
Vote: |
50% Gore, 45% Bush, 4% Nader |
| Public
Opinion on the Death Penalty: |
unknown |
| Organizations
Endorsing a Moratorium: |
African American/Jewish Coalition for Justice (Seattle)
Agate Passage Worship Group (Poulsbo)
Amnesty International, Group 607 (Friday Harbor)
Books to Prisoners (Seattle)
Call to Action Western Washington (Seattle)
Carmelite Monastery, Shoreline (Seattle)
Dominican Sisters (Tacoma)
Eitz Or Congregation (Seattle)
Eternity Road Foundation (Seattle)
Global Peace Task Force (Lynnwood)
Ground Zero Center for Non-Violent Action (Poulsbo)
Holy Family Parish, Respect Life Group (Kirkland)
Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center (Seattle)
Micah Community (Seattle)
Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (Spokane)
S.H.I.P.–Self-Esteem for the Handicapped Inside Prisons (Issaquah)
Seattle Women Act for Peace
Sisters of Saint Dominic of Tacoma (Tacoma)
Sisters of Saint Dominic of Tacoma, Leadership Team (Tacoma)
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, Washington Province, Leadership Team
St. John Vianney Catholic Church (Bothell)
Tacoma Dominicans, Study / Reflection / Input Group 1 (Tacoma)
Temple De Hirsch Sinai, Social Action Committee (Seattle)
Washington Association of Churches (Seattle)
Washington Park United Church of Christ (Seattle)
Whitman College Civil Liberties Union (Walla Walla)
|
| Organizations
Working FOR a Moratorium: |
Key Figures/Organizations Working for a Moratorium:
ACLU of Washington
705 Second Avenue, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98104
Kathleen Taylor-contact
206-624-2184-(day)
206-624-2190-(fax)
www.aclu-wa.org
Amnesty International State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator
William Kreuter-contact
206-784-0849-(phone)
[email protected]
Campaign to End the Death Penalty
Seattle Chapter
Andrea Crabtree-contact
206-835-5577-(phone)
[email protected]
INDPAG and Northwest Death Penalty Abolition Group (c/o PJALS)*
35 W. Main, Suite 120 M
Spokane, WA 99201
Nancy and Rusty Nelson-contacts
509-838-7870--(day)
509-838-6025--(fax)
[email protected]
MacDonald, Hoague and Bayless*
1500 Hoge Building
705 Second Ave., Suite 1500
Seattle, WA 98104
Tim Ford, Esq.-contact
206-622-1604-day
206-343-3961-fax
[email protected]
www.mhb.com
Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
810 3rd Avenue, Suite #421
Seattle, WA 98104
Teresa Mathis-contact
206-623-1302--(day)
206-623-4257--(fax)
[email protected]
Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
705 Second Avenue, #300
Seattle, WA 98104
Judith Kay-contact
206-622-8952-(day)
206-624-2190-(fax)
[email protected]
www.scn.org/wcadp
|
| Clemency: |
The Governor has the power to commute death sentences to life imprisonment and hard labor upon such conditions and restrictions as the Governor thinks proper |
| Who
Decides Sentence: |
Jury |
| Method
of Execution: |
Washington authorizes both lethal injection and hanging. |
