William Yardley has this article in the New York Times on the Governor of Oregon's blocking of the enforcement of the death penalty in that state.
Noting the length of time many inmates spend on death row, often more than 20 years, [Gov. Kitzhaber] said Oregon had an "unworkable system that fails to meet basic standards of justice." He said there was a wide sense the death penalty process was flawed but that the state had "done nothing; we have avoided the question."Update: Alan Gustafson has this article in the Statesman Journal.* * *"If the review system is broken such that nobody but volunteers are being executed, the answer is to fix the review system," said Kent S. Scheidegger, the legal director for the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, which supports the death penalty.
Mr. Scheidegger said the authority some governors had to commute or delay death penalty sentences "is given for the purpose of correcting injustices in individual cases. It's not given for the purpose of negating an entire law."
The Governor has clearly abused his authority.
Unfortunately, he doesn't face the voters until 2015.
If his oath as a physician prevents him from carrying out his duties as governor, he should resign.
Also, isn't his power to grant a reprieve, pardon, or what ever you want to call this nonsense here, discretionary? Can it be attacked in court as an abuse of discretion?
Agreed.
Reprieve, yes.
No (at least not successfully).