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The execution of Marcellus Williams serves as a stark reminder of the injustices of the death penalty. Today, as we reflect and mourn this death, we must consider the facts of the final hours of Mr. Williams’ life: There were ample concerns about the evidence of the case, including DNA evidence that refuted early claims. In a petition to the court, the victim’s family asked that Mr. Williams not be put to death.
Prosecutors in Missouri objected to this execution—a fact that grieves many prosecutors, including me as the LA County District Attorney. Part of our work as prosecutors is to serve victims of crime, and this execution was a painful disservice to the family Lisha Gayle, who have sought justice since she was killed in 1998.
Today I am calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to use executive action to commute the death sentences of nearly 700 people on California’s death row and sentence them to life without the possibility of parole instead.
While the death penalty has been halted in California due to the Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2019 moratorium on executions, the state has not formally joined the 23 other states where the death penalty is illegal. This important change will allow for continued advocacy and action towards abolishing this unjust and irreversible punishment.
We must recognize that the threat of death without the assurance of justice is an indignity to our system, and we must also acknowledge there are systemic biases that endanger Black men like Mr. Williams disproportionately. Recall that Mr. Williams was convicted and sentenced to death in 2001 for murder despite significant doubts about his guilt. After spending 24 years in prison, new DNA evidence emerged that contradicted the initial findings and raised serious doubts.
Now, through the callous disregard of the Missouri governor, we have lost the opportunity for justice.
As the District Attorney of Los Angeles County, let me be clear: I will never seek the death penalty. I don’t hold this view because it is popular or easy; I do it because I truly believe in justice and the important work of prosecutors across this country. Throughout my career in San Francisco and Los Angeles, I have never pursued this ultimate punishment, choosing to focus on promoting justice and fairness in our criminal justice system.
Since being elected as District Attorney of Los Angeles, I have taken significant steps to address the injustices of the death penalty that we see time and time again. In the last three years, through the Resentencing Unit, my office has resentenced 36 individuals off death row and given them Life Without the Possibility of Parole instead. This decision not only spares them from the ultimate punishment but also allows them the opportunity to seek redemption and rehabilitation, and in some cases, their innocence.
Out of the 14 exonerations that have occurred in my administration, at least one man faced the death penalty. Thankfully, the jury rejected the request and sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole instead. If not for this decision, he might have been executed before he was able to prove his innocence.
By refusing to seek the death penalty, I am standing up against these injustices and advocating for a more humane and equitable criminal justice system. I believe in holding individuals accountable for their actions but recognize that the death penalty is not the answer.
The irreversible nature of the death penalty means that there is no room for error, which is too great a cost to bear. Marcellus’ case underscores that mistakes are made and the high risk of executing innocent individuals and the urgent need for reform in our criminal justice system.
Since 1973, the Death Penalty Information Center calculates that 200 people have been executed and later exonerated and found innocent, further highlighting the grave consequences of a flawed and immoral practice like the death penalty.
In a time when the death penalty is increasingly being questioned and abolished in many states, my stance reflects the growing consensus that capital punishment has no place in a fair and just society. I am committed to leading by example and showing that there are alternative ways to achieve justice without resorting to the ultimate punishment.
The case of Marcellus Williams should serve as a powerful reminder that reform and abolition of the death penalty is needed now.
I call on Gov. Newsom, respectfully and sincerely, to act today to preserve truth and justice in California.
George Gascón is the 43rd district attorney of Los Angeles County. Gascón’s career includes serving as San Francisco district attorney, as San Francisco police chief, as Los Angeles Police Department assistant chief, and as an LAPD officer.
This story was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation’s leading Black news publishers (of which The Informer is a member).