3 Former California Governors Oppose Death-Penalty Repeal
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three former California governors are urging voters to reject a ballot proposal next week that would abolish the state's death penalty.
Democrat Gray Davis and Republicans Pete Wilson and George Deukmejian joined murder victims' families in Los Angeles Tuesday to warn that Proposition 34 would erase history and potentially free imprisoned killers.
There are more than 700 inmates on California's death row.
Davis calls the proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot a "horrible injustice" that would reopen old wounds for victims' families.
The American Civil Liberties Union and other supporters say $4 billion has been spent since 1978 housing condemned inmates and on lengthy court appeals. They say that money could be used to investigate unsolved murder and rape cases.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
