Prosecutors shouldn’t abdicate

On Nov. 12, the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys issued a statement calling for a referendum on whether Washington should retain the death penalty. They argue a referendum is needed to determine whether they should seek the death penalty in cases where they believe the facts justify it, or whether they should never seek the death penalty because there is a lack of public support for the sanction.

Calling for a referendum on public support for the death penalty is an abdication of the prosecutors’ responsibility. The prosecutors want the public tell them whether to seek the death penalty rather than make that decision themselves, based on the law and what they know about the myriad problems that prevent a fair application of this sanction.

I suggest the prosecutors, as “ministers of justice,” exercise their professional judgment and refuse to seek the death penalty in all cases because of the clear and convincing evidence that the sanction is applied in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner. The prosecutors of this state need to take a stand against injustice rather than take the politically easy way out and ask the public to do the hard work they were elected to do.

Craig Hemmens

Pullman