1. SAGE Lecture Spark
March 26, 2019

2. California Governor Imposes a Moratorium on the Death Penalty
On March 13th, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that imposed a moratorium on the death penalty within the state.
The executive order also called for the repeal of the lethal injection protocols and the closure of the execution chamber at the San Quentin prison.
Do you think that Governor Newsom made the right decision?
Here are a few sources regarding the Governor Newsom’s executive order:
Gov. Gavin Newsom on halting death penalty: "It's a racist system. You cannot deny that.
By: CBS This Morning
03/15/2019
Governor Gavin Newsom Suspends Death Penalty in California
By: Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos
NPR Morning Edition
03/13/2019

3. Key Concepts According to Governor Newsom, the death penalty is:
Unfair, unjust, and wasteful.
Unfairly and unevenly applied to minorities and people of color.
Has led to the execution of innocent people.
Has not proven to deter violent crime.
Costly
Do you agree with Governor Newsom? Why or why not?
The following sources provide some information regarding Governor Newsom’s executive order:
Executive Order N-09-19
Governor Gavin Newsom
California governor: Why I put a freeze on the death penalty
By: Gavin Newsom
CNN
Updated 03/21/2019

4. Key Concepts According to the Death Penalty Information Center,
California has executed 13 people since 1976.
The current death row population is 740.
There are 23 women on death row.
Four innocent individuals have been freed from death row.
The last execution in California took place in 2006.
The following website provides information pertaining to the application of the death penalty in California:
Death Penalty Information Center: Facts about the Death Penalty
Death Penalty Information Center: State by State: California

5. Assessment
Writing: What are some of the arguments for and against the death penalty?
Debate: Governor Gavin Newsom made the right decision in imposing the moratorium on the death penalty in the state of California.
Poll: Do you believe that the death penalty deters crime?
Short Answer: Does the death penalty constitute cruel and unusual punishment? Identify the constitutional amendment that protects against cruel and unusual punishment.
Current Events Quiz
1. Since 1973, the state of California has executed ______ people.
A. 7
B. 13
C. 21
D. 36
2. Which region in the United States puts the most people to death?
A. South
B. Midwest
C. Southwest
D. Northeast
3. According to information from the Death Penalty Information Center, the majority of the individuals that have been executed have been
A. White.
B. Black.
C. Hispanic.
D. Asian American.
4. California has the largest death row in the western hemisphere. (T/F)
5. In 2012 and 2016, voters in the State of California advocated for the abolishment of the death penalty. (T/F)
6. Death sentences have increased since (T/F)
Answers
1) B
2) A
3) A
4) T
5) F
6) F