The Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Association Executive Board voted Thursday to join “Californians for Justice and Public Safety,” in opposing the November state ballot initiative to abolish California’s death penalty.
Officer Ryan Bonaminio was murdered by a parolee in Nov. of 2010. (Photo courtesy of the Riverside District Attorney's office)
RCDDAA Vice President and Senior Deputy District Attorney Michael Hestrin also signed on to lead opposition efforts in Riverside County.
“Abolishing the death penalty is not only dangerous to the citizens of Riverside County and California, but it also will drive up prison costs at a time when California is facing a severe budget shortage,” Hestrin stated. “This initiative is an attempt by the ACLU to hijack our criminal justice system and curtail the rights of victims.”
As of May 2012, there are 725 murderers on death row. Of those, 126 involved torture before murder, 173 killed children, and 44 murdered police officers.
According to estimates by Californians for Justice and Public Safety, the repeal could result in an additional $600 million in housing costs and nearly $300 million in increased health care costs for inmates.
In 2009, Hestrin prosecuted Raymond Lee Oyler, who is on death row following the arson-murder of five firefighters during the 2006 Esperanza fire.
More recently, Hestrin, along with RCDDAA President and Senior Deputy District Attorney John Aki, obtained a death penalty verdict in the trial of Earl Ellis Green, who murdered Riverside Police Officer Ryan Bonaminio in 2010.
Hestrin has successfully prosecuted seven death penalty cases and has six convicted murderers awaiting execution. The California District Attorneys Association named Hestrin Prosecutor of the Year in 2010.
“Today, we as prosecutors have taken a stand against the ACLU’s desire to protect the murderers of our police officers, firefighters, and children. We unite with law enforcement to stand up for victims and keep California a safe place to live,” Hestrin concluded.
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This article is twisted. The initiative would not RELEASE dangerous convicts on the street to torture or murder again. It replaces the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole. That’s a horrid punishment (I’d personally prefer to be put to death if it was me) BUT it ensures that no innocent person will be executed in our name. To date, at least 140 people who were on death row have been exonerated by DNA or other new evidence. If Hestrin and the “guest contributor” (why no attribution?) had their way, 140 people who did not commit the crime would be dead with their blood on our hands. This should be compelling to both the democratic values we hold as a nation and to our faith values.
Also, “guest contributor” provides not a shred of evidence to support the claims made by Hestrin, such as that ending the death penalty will drive up prison costs. All independent financial analyses I’ve read say exactly the opposite–that it is incredibly expensive to house, guard and litigate death row inmates.
PS This is the 2nd time I’ve entered this text. I tried to post it and received an error message saying that I was trying to post my comments too quickly! Are you kidding me!??!!
Please name one person on California’s death row that is part of the 140 people “exonerated.” Also, note that getting a new trial because of a procedural error is not exoneration. Also, that is why there are appeals. This has prevented any California men from having been executed. It does not justify getting rid of the death penalty. Get the facts at and supporting evidence at http://cadeathpenalty.webs.com and http://waiting4justice.org/.
The arguments in support of the ballot measure to abolish the death penalty are exaggerated at best and, in most cases, misleading and erroneous. The Act would only make our prisons less safe for both other prisoners and prison officials, significantly increase the costs to taxpayers due to life-time medical costs, the increased security required to coerce former death-row inmates to work, etc. The amount “saved” in order to help fund law enforcement is negligible and only for a short period of time. Bottom line, the “SAFE” Act is an attempt by those who are responsible for the high costs and lack of executions to now persuade voters to abandon it on those ground. Obviously, these arguments would disappear if the death penalty was carried forth in accordance with the law. Get the facts at and supporting evidence at http://cadeathpenalty.webs.com.
When my brother was murdered in 2003 I hoped that his killer would be identified, prosecuted, convicted and severely punished. Now, almost 10 years later, California continues to waste hundreds of millions each year on a death penalty system which everyone agrees is broken. The Riversed District Attorney’s Association wants us to believe that if we just move a little quIcker with our executions all will be well. Well it won’t and implicating the likely scapegoat of the ACLU doesn’t make it so. Fact is, speeding up an inherently flawed system will not bring my brother back. Fact is, the death penalty harms victims families like mine. Fact is over 40% of murders are unsolved. Fact is, life without the possibility of parole is severe punishment for killers who torture, kill cops, and prey on the innocence of children. Fact is, it’s way past time to revenge for a few with swift certain justice for all victims.
When my brother was murdered in 2003 I hoped that his killer would be identified, prosecuted, convicted and severely punished. Now, almost 10 years later, California continues to waste hundreds of millions each year on a death penalty system which everyone agrees is broken. The Riversed District Attorney’s Association wants us to believe that if we just move a little quIcker with our executions all will be well. Well it won’t and implicating the likely scapegoat of the ACLU doesn’t make it so. Fact is, speeding up an inherently flawed system will not bring my brother back. Fact is, the death penalty harms victims families like mine. Fact is over 40% of murders are unsolved. Fact is, life without the possibility of parole is severe punishment for killers who torture, kill cops, and prey on the innocence of children. Fact is, it’s way past time to replace revenge for a few with swift certain justice for all victims.
Seems to me the death penalty is actually the thing that is dangerous to residents of Riverside. Keeping it doesn’t save anyone, and only lessens the liklihood that money will be spent keeping kids out of the system in the first place. It is sick that people are giving awards for successful prosecutions that amount to state sponsored murder.