Take action to stop the Execution of Cal Brown

Despite a national trend away from the use of the death penalty, Washington is set to execute its first inmate in over 9 years.  The state has set a date of execution for September 10th for Cal Brown, and we need your help to stop it.

Please send a letter to the Governor, the Attorney General, and the King County Prosecutor, asking them to stay the execution and commute Brown’s sentence to life without parole.  The letter can be as simple as “I support abolition of the death penalty.  Please do not execute Cal Brown”, or you can use the talking points below.

Your voice counts—let it be heard today!

 

• The death penalty is no longer affordable. On average, a death penalty case in the U.S. costs well over $1.7 million in defense costs alone. The total cost is often over $3 million per case. Why aren’t we spending that money on programs that have a proven track record at preventing crimes?
• The state should not execute the severely mentally ill.  Cal C. Brown has serious mental illnesses that directly contributed to his crime, but which are now controlled in prison through the use of medication.  Better treatment for the mentally ill, not an execution, will prevent such crimes in the future.
• This execution does nothing to protect us. During his more than 17 years of incarceration, Brown has never had an infraction or disciplinary action for any serious offense. Brown poses little to no threat to prison officials or inmates. There is no need for execution; letting him stay in prison for the rest of his life will keep us safe.
• Executions go against our core values. The death penalty perpetuates the cycle of violence.  Killing is wrong, whether committed by an individual or by the government.  The State of Washington, which prides itself on being a civilized place, has been pre-meditating killing Mr. Brown since sentencing him in 1993.
• The state should value the truth.  Cal Brown has told the truth about his crime and taken responsibility for it.  On the other hand, Gary Ridgeway refused to tell the truth about his victims until the state offered him a life sentence.  We should be consistent in offering people permanent life sentences to defendants who tell the truth and take responsibility for the harm they have done.
• The death penalty is supposed to be applied fairly. But in the State of Washington, the more people you kill, the less likely you are to receive the death penalty. Cal Brown murdered one person and received a death sentence. His case is completely disproportionate to all those who murdered more than one person and eventually received sentences of life without the possibility of parole.
• The death penalty does not serve the needs of victims. The state and people of Washington can show their respect for victims by refusing to sensationalize the offender by making him the center of publicity and attention through execution and by making greater efforts to meet the needs of survivors’ families.