Make an enquiry

    Enquiry Form









    Contact

      Enquiry Form






      Supporting Document


      We are welcoming clients back to our offices Find Out More
      FJG Solicitors in Essex, Colchester, Chelmsford, London – Fisher Jones Greenwood
      • 0845 543 5700
      • [email protected]
      • Make an enquiry
      • Online Payment
      • Home
      • Services
        • Services for you
          • Advocacy
          • Civil & Commercial Disputes
          • Clinical and Medical Negligence
          • Conveyancing
          • Employment Law
          • Family Law
          • Children Law
          • Immigration & Visas
          • Notary Services
          • Personal Injury
          • Wills, Life Planning & Probate
        • Services for business
          • Academies Portal
          • Agricultural and Rural
          • Business Immigration
          • Commercial Dispute Resolution
          • Commercial Litigation
          • Professional Negligence
          • Commercial Property
          • Construction Law
          • Planning Consultancy
          • Corporate and Commercial
          • Education Services
          • Employment Law
          • Healthcare Services
          • International Services
          • Landlord & Tenant Services
        • Services by sector
          • Agriculture & Estates
          • Care Homes
          • Charities & Social Enterprise
          • Construction
          • Education Law
          • Energy
          • Family Owned Business
          • Healthcare & Dentistry
      • Our people
      • About us
        • CSR
        • Awards
        • Our Vision
        • Accessibility
        • Careers
        • Work Experience
        • Equality & Diversity
        • FLOCC
        • FJG Foundation
        • SAFE Forum
      • News, Events & Insights
      • Blog
      • Podcasts
      • Contact us
        • Colchester
        • Chelmsford
        • Clacton-on-Sea
        • Billericay
        • Braintree
        • Frinton-on-Sea
        • Holland-on-Sea
        • London

      The US Election: Quite Literally a Matter of Life or Death For Three States

      11 November 2016 by

      hand inserting red card into white ballot box with out of focus background
      hand inserting red card into white ballot box with out of focus background

      When millions of American citizens completed their ballot cards on Tuesday, the Presidential election was not the only matter to be dealt with on the ballot cards. In fact, there were approximately 150 state-wide matters which were being put to the vote.

      These matters included modern-day slavery, the legalisation of marijuana, pornography, carbon tax, minimum wage, and most strikingly the death penalty. However media coverage of these matters, in the UK at least, has been of the bare minimum.

      Three states, California, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, asked its citizens to cast their vote as to the future of the death penalty.

      California

      California is home to nearly 750 death row prisoners, which represents one-quarter of the nation’s death penalty population. In California, the ballot card asked voters whether a) the appeals process (which is notoriously long) should be sped up and b) whether the death penalty should be abolished.

      No executions have actually taken place in California since 2006, but the death penalty sentence is still handed down by the Courts. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, almost one-quarter of those on death row commit suicide before their appeal is heard or their execution dates arrives. A large majority of the other prisoners die from illness or other causes unrelated to their impending execution.

      The situation had become so dire that last year the state ran out of room to house its death row inmates and Governor Jerry Brown (Democrat) had to ask lawmakers for $3.2million to enable them to open additional cells in San Quentin, home to the state’s death row and execution chamber.

      The pro-abolition campaign argued that by abolishing the death penalty, the state would be able to make savings of approximately $150million a year.

      Under Proposition 66 (whether the appeals process should be sped up) the vote came in at 50.9% in favour of speeding up the process. This was not to shorten the suffering time of those held in death row, but rather to speed up the process of sending prisoners to be executed.

      In respect of Proposition 62 (whether to abolish the death penalty), the votes were 46.1% in favour of abolishment.

      So the death penalty in California will remain, however, there is still a large school of thought which believes that the death penalty system in California is too broken to be fixed.

      Nebraska

      Seemingly going against the tide of opinion of the Western World, citizens in Nebraska were being asked to cast a vote as to whether the death penalty should be reintroduced. It had previously been repealed by state legislation in 2015.

      There are 10 men on death row in the state, but whilst the death penalty had still been in force until last year, there have not been any executions since 1997 when the electric chair had been used.

      Following Tuesday’s vote, the state of Nebraska has now reinstated the use of the death penalty.

      Oklahoma

      Question 776 was put to the voters in Oklahoma, which would empower lawmakers to approve any method of execution not prohibited by the US Constitution, specifically in relation to the death penalty.

      Whilst the death penalty was already in force, the state was asking for reaffirmation of the sentence following the botched execution of Charles Warner in 2015. Mr Warner had been sentenced to execution by lethal injection, but 18 minutes after receiving the injection he was still alive and, understandably, in immense distress. His last words were to inform the officials that the needle which had been inserted felt like acid, by further exclaiming “my body is on fire”.

      It is thought that he had been given an injection of a drug which was not listed in the state’s approved execution protocol.

      The casting vote was in favour of the death penalty, with 67% of voters being in support of declaring that the death penalty “shall not be deemed to be, or constitute the infliction of cruel or unusual punishment”.

      Interestingly the votes cast by the citizens of California, Nebraska, and Oklahoma do not attract much of a political pattern in relation to whether they voted for Trump or Clinton, as whilst Nebraska and Oklahoma are Trump territories, the Californians voted for Clinton.

      Either way, California, Nebraska, and Oklahoma take their place alongside the 27 other states in the US who currently actively use the death penalty sentence.

      Authors
      Archives
      Subscribe to RSS feed

      Recent Posts

      • Worth the wait
      • What is a section 37 report?
      • What is a section 7 report?
      @FJGSolicitors

      We've had a 5* review from Zoe: Moving home https://t.co/4lbJehtq0g

      7 hours

      RT @MistleyCC: How good did the new T20 kit look on Thursday?! 🔥 A massive thanks to @FJGSolicitors for sponsoring our kit this year! https…

      23 hours

      We've had a 5* review from Nicholas: EXCELLENT ADVICE AND VERY EFFICIENT https://t.co/4lbJehtq0g

      1 day
      Billericay 01277 623132
      Braintree 01376 552828
      Chelmsford 01245 890110
      Colchester 01206 835300
      Clacton 01255 323103
      Frinton 01255 514100
      Holland-on-Sea 01255 818900
      London 08455 435700
      Sudbury 01787 373387
      • Disclaimer
      • Accessibility
      • Terms & Conditions
      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookies
      • Price & Service
      • Signup to our Newsletter
      • COVID-19 Risk Assessment

      Fisher Jones Greenwood is the trading name of Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP, a Limited Liability Partnership authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and registered in England ( Number: OC305854 ). A list of members is available for inspection at the registered office at Charter Court, Newcomen Way, Colchester Business Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 9YA

      This website uses cookies & data collection

      Our website uses cookies, which are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit to distinguish you from other users. They are widely used in order to help website owners like us provide you with the best user experience possible. They also provide us with information that can help us improve our websites and marketing activities. By clicking an item or link on this website, you agree to the use of cookies and other data collection.

      Find out more

      We are welcoming clients back to our offices

      Differing tiers and three lockdowns later, Fisher Jones Greenwood Solicitors are now pleased to be able to welcome clients safely back to our offices.

      Remote working and the digitalisation of the way we work, have been key to keeping FJG and the rest of the country going.

      • We are now able to offer, pre-booked face-to-face appointments. Although, we are still able to offer remote appointments if preferred.
      • You can continue to visit our offices at any time to post any correspondence and documents through letterboxes.

      If you are visiting an FJG office, covid-19 safety rules of social distancing, hand sanitization, and the wearing of masks will still apply.

      • Please be aware you will also need to have your temperature taken on arrival.
      • There will also be protective screens in place to protect you and our staff.

      Please do not hesitate to contact your legal adviser by email or by telephone should you have any worries or concerns. Alternatively, please call our main switchboard number (01206 835300), and a message to return your call will be relayed to the relevant person.

      Best wishes
      Paula Cameron
      Managing Partner