In this Aug. 16, 2016, file photo a condemned inmate is led out of his east block cell on death row at San Quentin State Prison, in San Quentin, Calif. The constitutionality of California’s death penalty law is currently under attack in the California Supreme Court by a coalition of criminal defense attorneys and other death penalty opponents. The challengers launched their attack in a
Bonta, unwilling to “oppose” the lawsuit as the court requested, instead filed something he titled a “response” that strongly signaled sympathy for the challenge and urged the court to at least give it a warm reception. AsIn their latest round of briefing, the challengers, while appreciative of Bonta’s friendly stance, strongly objected not only to the prosecutors’ vastly different views but to their sharing those views with the court.
What’s next? The court could still reject the challenge outright on any number of available grounds. Or it could allow the lawsuit to go forward with the challengers going up either against Bonta alone or with the district attorneys in the mix.