A California judge is considering whether to recall the death sentence of a man convicted in the 1993 kidnapping and killing of 12-year-old Polly Klaas in a case that shocked the nation. Jurors in 1996 found Richard Allen Davis guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to death.
FILE - Richard Allen Davis, left, appears with his public defender, Bruce Kinnison, in a Sonoma County Municipal Court in Santa Rosa, Calif., Dec. 7, 1993. A California judge will consider, on Friday, May 31, 2024, whether to recall the death sentence against Davis, who in 1993 killed 12-year-old Polly Klaas after kidnapping her from her bedroom at knifepoint in a crime that shocked the nation. SAN JOSE, Calif.
Davis’ attorneys argued in a February court filing that his death sentence should be recalled because of recent changes to California sentencing laws. They also noted California’s current moratorium on the death penalty. In 2019, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling the death penalty “a failure” that has discriminated against defendants who are mentally ill, Black and brown, or can’t afford expensive legal representation.” A future governor could change that policy.
The case was a major driver behind California’s passage of a so-called “three strikes” law in 1994 that set longer sentences for repeat offenders. Lawmakers and voters approved the proposal.
Capital Punishment California General News Domestic News U.S. News Arnold Schwarzenegger N Politics Homicide Legal Proceedings U.S. News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Federal judge orders review of at least 35 death row cases in CaliforniaJamal is the justice correspondent for Scripps News. He has found a home in criminal and social justice reporting, focusing largely on incarcerated and marginalized communities.
Read more »
Judge agrees to delay Hunter Biden trial in California tax fraud case as Delaware trial loomsHunter Biden's California tax fraud trial was originally scheduled to take place in June.
Read more »
Federal judge orders ICE to end 'knock and talk' arrests of immigrants in Southern CaliforniaU.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II says that the practice of arresting immigrants at their homes without a judicial warrant is unconstitutional.
Read more »
Closure of California federal prison was poorly planned, judge says in ordering further monitoringA federal judge says a plan to close a troubled prison in California where female inmates suffered sexual abuse by guards was “ill-conceived and, like Swiss cheese, full of holes.” The judge on Wednesday ordered a close monitoring and care of the incarcerated women who were moved out of FCI Dublin to other federal facilities across the country.
Read more »
Closure of California federal prison was poorly planned, judge says in ordering further monitoringA federal judge says a plan to close a troubled prison in California where female inmates suffered sexual abuse by guards was “ill-conceived and, like Swiss cheese, full of holes.”
Read more »
Judge clears courtroom, as chaos breaks out when defense witness battles with Judge MerchanThis is additional taxonomy that helps us with analytics
Read more »