Washington Supreme Court Strikes Down Death Penalty

Route Fifty: The Washington Supreme Court struck down the death penalty as unconstitutional Thursday, saying the imposition of the sentence in the state has been shown to be both "arbitrary" and "racially biased."

The court found that whether a defendant was sentenced to death depended on where that person lived or in what county the crime was committed (since 2000, prosecutors from only three of Washington’s counties have sought the death penalty). But, in particular, the justices found that race was the key problem, with juries more likely to sentence black defendants to death.

Read article