Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee is
suspending executions in the state, using his authority to issue reprieves from death sentences:
“Equal justice under the law is the state’s primary responsibility,” Inslee said during a news conference this morning. “And in death penalty cases, I’m not convinced equal justice is being served.”
Inslee said there was “too much at stake” in death penalty cases in what he termed an “imperfect system.”
He said that if a death penalty case crosses his desk for action, he will issue a reprieve.
Inslee won't be issuing pardons nor commutations, but will instead by issuing reprieves, which are essentially stays of execution that leave the underlying sentence in place, so in theory, a new governor could reverse the decisions. Eighteen states
ban the death penalty, including six in the last six years.