The Santa Clara District Attorney has asked the court to change death sentences of 15 men to life in prison, saying capital punishment in an unfair and ineffective deterrent.

A San Mateo County jury convicted Scott Peterson in November 2004 of killing his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner.

Parents of Sierra LaMar, who was murdered by Antolin Garcia Torres, found little comfort in the life sentence he received.

In a country founded on “give me liberty or give me death,” the ultimate punishment is contrary to our own stated belief system.

The choice between two death penalty propositions is clear—one will save taxpayers millions of dollars each year, while the other will cost millions.

Come Election Day, two death penalty initiatives are up on the ballot. Both aim to fix California’s execution system, but with opposite solutions.

For now, capital punishment in California resembles an M. C. Escher drawing—a Möbius strip going endlessly nowhere.

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against the man accused of killing Morgan Hill teenager Sierra LaMar, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

A proposed ballot initiative—endorsed by former governors George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis—would resume and expedite executions for the 700-plus people living on California’s death row. But would voters be on board?

Voters will elect representatives and decide state and local governments’ fiscal futures in this year’s election. Here are Metro‘s endorsements for the propositions on the Nov. 6 ballot.—Editor