death penalty news June 4, 2004
CALIFORNIA: Sups Back Black DA in Death Penalty Controversy District Attorney Kamala Harris, under fire from some politicians for refusing to change her opposition to the death penalty in the case of a suspect charged with killing an undercover police officer, picked up key backing this week from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In response, Black community leaders were elated. Harris is the first Black Woman to be elected to the office of District Attorney in California state history. The Board of Supervisors voted 8 to 2 to support Harris, who is seeking life without parole for the suspect rather than capital punishment for the April 10 shooting of a police officer. "The whole Black community has rallied behind Kamala Harris," said Naomi Gray, a longtime community activist. "Most politicians say one thing and then do something else but she has stayed by her views (in opposing capital punishment). She didn't waiver. She's a role model for young Black women because she's very strong. We were just talking about this in Bayview Hunters Point." Gray also had sharp words for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein who had called for the death penalty during the funeral of the slain officer, Isaac Espinoza. "I would rather she had talked about getting all the guns out of our community," said Gray. The debate over whether or not the death penalty should be applied in the case of 21-year old David Hill, who is African American and without an adult criminal record, reached a new boiling point as the supervisors voted to support a resolution that had been sponsored by a number of supervisors including Chris Daly and Sophie Maxwell. Harris has already picked up support from the NAACP, the Black press, the San Francisco Bar Association, minority lawyers and the Service Employees International Union. Although local elected officials have been reluctant to further politicize the case and draw the ire of the powerful Police Officers Association, which has been pressing Harris to change her views, officials realize that most voters in liberal San Francisco are opposed to capital punishment. And pro-Harris sentiments are running particularly high in the Black community. Black community leader Espanola Jackson was among many speaking out this week: "When she ran for District Attorney she was endorsed by the Police Officers Association and she stated where she stood on capital punishment. She was not attacked at that time. These police officers were also in plain clothes and I don't believe this (shooting) would have happened had he (the victim) been in uniform. There's a lot of questions that still have to be answered. (A suspect) may have thought he was being robbed or someone was looking for drugs to take." Toye Moses, President of the African-American Democratic Club and Executive Director, Southeast Community Facilities Committee, was present at the Board of Supervisors meeting when the pro-Harris votes were cast. "I like what happened," Moses said. "I strongly endorsed this resolution." Moses said a growing number of people are opposed to the death penalty and for good reason. "You have innocent people who have been wrongly accused over the years and now you see more DNA testing coming out that has freed persons who are on death row," Moses said. Daly said only two people have received the death penalty in San Francisco in 40 years. The measure now goes to the desk of Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has strong support in the Black community which supported both his campaign and Harris (the first Black elected District Attorney in California) in the last election. Newsom has also spoken out against capital punishment. But not yet in this case. Rev. Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial Church said "this was without a doubt one of the most important votes ever taken by the Board of Supervisors... as a committment by (the District Attorney) not to engage in the death penalty. They recognized this is not only an important legal issue but an ethical issue and I'm happy they voted they way they did." (source: The Sun Reporter, San Francisco)
