Released on = January 6, 2006, 6:53 am

Press Release Author = LA JONES & ASSOCIATES

Industry = -- Choose an Industry --

Press Release Summary = The Oakland City Council voted unanimously to support
Assembly Bill 1121 (AB-1121) which would impose a moratorium on carrying out any
executions in the State of California until certain criteria are met, or, failing
that, until January 1, 2009.

The bill also stipulates that the state legislature consider all recommendations of
the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice.

Press Release Body = COUNCILMEMBER BROOKS BACKS TWO-YEAR MORATORIUM ON STATE
EXECUTIONS - CITIZENS URGED TO TAKE ACTION

(Oakland, CA - January 4, 2006) The Oakland City Council voted unanimously to
support Assembly Bill 1121 (AB-1121) which would impose a moratorium on carrying out
any executions in the State of California until certain criteria are met, or,
failing that, until January 1, 2009.

The bill also stipulates that the state legislature consider all recommendations of
the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice.

The resolution was brought before the Council by Councilperson Desley Brooks.

One-hundred-twenty-two (122) people nationwide have been released from death row
after being able to establish their factual innocence, six were Californians. Brooks
said, "A civilized society should seek to ensure that no innocent person is ever
executed, and should the state seek to impose the death penalty we should be
absolutely certain that it is not done in an unjust or arbitrary manner."

Over the last few years, serious concerns have been raised that the death penalty is
not being applied fairly or accurately across the board to all death penalty
eligible defendants. Many of these concerns have been prompted by revelations that
innocent people in California have been convicted of crimes they did not commit, as
demonstrated by new DNA technology, by documented racial and geographic disparities
in the implementation of capital punishment in California, by erroneous eyewitness
and false testimony, by prosecutorial and police misconduct, and by pervasive
complaints about ineffectiveness of counsel in death penalty cases.

In late 2004, the California Senate established the bi-partisan California
Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice ("Commission") to study and
determine the extent to which California's criminal justice system has failed in the
past and why innocent people are being convicted, and sometimes executed, in this
state. The Commission is required to make findings and recommendations for reform to
the Legislature by no later than December 31, 2007.

Currently, there are 648 inmates on death row in California, more than any other
state in the country. AB-1121 was authored by Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-LA) and
co-authored by Assemblymembers Sally Lieber and Mervyn Dymally.

The State Legislature is scheduled to vote on this matter early in the 2006
legislative session. Councilmember Brooks also requests fellow elected officials to
bring a support resolution before their respective jurisdictions, and that
faith-based leaders forward letters of support to the state legislature.

Putting executions on hold can only happen with your help. Support the \"California
Moratorium on Executions Act\" (AB 1121) by visiting www.aclunc.org, where you can
easily and quickly submit a note to Governor Schwarzenegger and your state
representatives. You can also stay in the loop by signing up to receive upcoming
alerts on this issue.


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Media Contact:
LaNiece Jones
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