WA Legislature Drives Final Nail Into Death Penalty Coffin

There has not been an execution in WA State since 2010, when Cal Coburn Brown was lethally injected for the murder of a young woman. Now, the death penalty is 'officially' null and void.

Gov. Inslee signs bill officially abolishing the practice

Thursday, April 20th, Inslee signed a bill that had been introduced by Democratic Senator Jamie Pederson (Seattle) that abolishes a number of laws the State Supreme Court has already ruled as unconstitutional.

According to information from the Governor's office:

"The legislation removes numerous invalid and unconstitutional statutes that remain on the books, based on an analysis done by the Washington Supreme Court. In addition to the death penalty, those statutes include laws allowing judges to order people sterilized and requirements that public employees sign anti-communist pledges. Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, sponsored the companion bill in the House."

The State Supreme Court had ruled in 2018, after an effort by AG Bob Ferguson, that the penalty was unlawful because of its arbitrary and racially-based application.

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A total of 110 capital executions have been carried out in WA since it became a territory in 1849.  Gov. Inslee issued a moratorium on the death penalty in 2014.

Until 1995, the method of execution was hanging. The last death row inmate to be hanged was Charles Rodman Campbell in May of 1994.