Dear Editor,

I’m writing in regards to your recent article on Proposition 62 and the argument for repealing the death penalty in California. I think we can all agree the system in our state is broken, yet ending death sentences is not the solution. The solution is to MEND, not END California’s death penalty.

Each year, nearly 2,000 murders occur in California, of those about 15 result in death penalty sentences. With Prop 66 reforms, juries can still recommend the death penalty for criminals they’ve found guilty of committing horrific crimes and, in turn, those criminals will have their appeals heard within five years.  As it stands now, the most heinous criminals sit on death row for 30 years, with endless appeals delaying justice and costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Prop 66 will speed up the death penalty appeals process while ensuring that no innocent person is ever executed. 

The death penalty in California is broken. Reform is the answer. The right thing to do is to vote NO on Prop 62 and YES on Prop 66!

 — Birgit Fladager, Stanislaus County District Attorney