Death penalty reform initiative could affect local cases
By Lori Fowler, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Calif. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Cooper, now 55, who was convicted of the murders two years after they happened, has been on death row for nearly 30 years.
He and his lawyers have filed multiple appeals over the years claiming his innocence. A moratorium on executions in
But proponents of the death penalty are hoping to change that.
Reforms to the appeals process, death row housing and victim restitution, and the appointment of appellate counsel and agency oversight could save money, reform the system and bring closure more quickly to victims' families, supporters said.
"If this passes, I would hope (Cooper) would be one of the first executed in
"
Recently, Fowler was charged in 2009 with five counts of murder and two counts of arson related to
The following month, the same jury panel recommended the death penalty for the arsonist.
Fowler was sentenced to death on
The blaze, which started on
Five residents in burn areas died from heart attacks caused by the stress of evacuation and threats to homes and belongings, officials said. The five men were:
And then there is
The two have been on
In
The pair stole her bank card number then took Novis to a vineyard near
Officials are hoping that the reform initiative would speed up the execution process for cases like Marlow and Coffman's and Cooper's.
"Old age should not be the leading cause of death on
Staff reporter
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