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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Washington governor suspends death penalty | Washington governor suspends death penalty |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The governor of the US state of Washington has put a halt to executions there, saying the death penalty is used unequally and inconsistently. | The governor of the US state of Washington has put a halt to executions there, saying the death penalty is used unequally and inconsistently. |
| Jay Inslee, a Democrat, said he would grant a reprieve in any death penalty case that required his action. | Jay Inslee, a Democrat, said he would grant a reprieve in any death penalty case that required his action. |
| "There is too much at stake to accept an imperfect system," Mr Inslee said. | "There is too much at stake to accept an imperfect system," Mr Inslee said. |
| The move does not permanently abolish Washington's death penalty, which would require legislation. The state has executed five convicts since 1976. | The move does not permanently abolish Washington's death penalty, which would require legislation. The state has executed five convicts since 1976. |
| That year, states were allowed to re-instate the death penalty after a brief Supreme Court-ordered moratorium. | That year, states were allowed to re-instate the death penalty after a brief Supreme Court-ordered moratorium. |
| The north-western state's legislature has previously considered outlawing the death penalty but has never moved beyond public hearings on the issue. | The north-western state's legislature has previously considered outlawing the death penalty but has never moved beyond public hearings on the issue. |
| 'No executions, period' | 'No executions, period' |
| The first-term Democratic governor said he came to the decision after months of review, and meetings with family members of victims, prosecutors and law enforcement officials. | |
| "There have been too many doubts raised about capital punishment, there are too many flaws in this system today," Mr Inslee said at a news conference, noting that a majority of the state's capital punishment cases had been reduced to life prison sentences. | "There have been too many doubts raised about capital punishment, there are too many flaws in this system today," Mr Inslee said at a news conference, noting that a majority of the state's capital punishment cases had been reduced to life prison sentences. |
| There are currently nine men on Washington's death row. The moratorium will last at least as long as Mr Inslee is governor. He is up for re-election in 2016. | There are currently nine men on Washington's death row. The moratorium will last at least as long as Mr Inslee is governor. He is up for re-election in 2016. |
| "During my term, we will not be executing people," Mr Inslee said. But "nobody is getting out of prison, period". | "During my term, we will not be executing people," Mr Inslee said. But "nobody is getting out of prison, period". |
| Mr Inslee also said he expected the move would push the state into joining "a growing national conversation about capital punishment". | Mr Inslee also said he expected the move would push the state into joining "a growing national conversation about capital punishment". |
| Last year, Maryland abolished the death penalty, becoming the 18th state to do so and the sixth in the last six years. | Last year, Maryland abolished the death penalty, becoming the 18th state to do so and the sixth in the last six years. |
| Thirty-two US states allow capital punishment, but Oregon's governor has declared a similar moratorium and many states have been pushed into a de facto moratorium due to shortages of the drugs used for executions. | Thirty-two US states allow capital punishment, but Oregon's governor has declared a similar moratorium and many states have been pushed into a de facto moratorium due to shortages of the drugs used for executions. |