[WCADP-list] BREAKING NEWS: Charles Champion No Longer Facing the Death Penalty

[wcadp-list at lists.drizzle.com]

We have just learned that the King County prosecutor has decided to reduce
the charges against Charles Champion from Aggravated First Degree Murder to
simply Murder in the First Degree.
 
Mr. Champion's legal team mounted an aggressive and innovative defense.
According to Mark Larranaga of the WA Death Penalty Assistance Center,
"...tremendous work [was] done by the defense team that included extensive
mitigation preparation, factual investigation, and innovative legal
challenges...  Congratulations to Jackie Walsh, Bruce Shamulka, Rita
Griffith, Katie Ross, Roger Hunko, Dan Pelka, Jerry Esterly, and the entire
defense team."
 
It is interesting to note that this was the last case in King County
involving a death notice.  In the post-Ridgway-era we are seeing fewer cases
going this far.  However, many other county prosecutors have demonstrated
their willingness to aggressively pursue the death penalty within their
jurisdictions.  So clearly our work is not done.
 
Andrea Crabtree
President
WCADP Steering Committee
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - 
The Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
P. O. Box 3045
Seattle, WA 98114
(206) 622-8952
www.abolishdeathpenalty.org <http://www.abolishdeathpenalty.org/> 
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.drizzle.com/pipermail/wcadp-list/attachments/20041123/d53d368e/attachment.html