WORK HALTED ON ROOM FOR EXECUTIONS.Byline: STEVEN HARMON Contra Costa Times The Contra Costa Times is a daily newspaper based in Walnut Creek, California. The paper serves Contra Costa and eastern Alameda counties, in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. SACRAMENTO -- Attempting to head off a confrontation with legislative leaders over the secret construction of a new death chamber at San Quentin State Prison San Quentin State Prison is located on 432 acres (1.7 km²) on Point Quentin in Marin County, California, United States, north of San Francisco. San Quentin State Prison was opened in July 1852, and is the oldest prison in California. , Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): [ˈaɐ̯nɔlt ˈaloɪ̯s ˈʃvaɐ̯ʦənˌʔɛɡɐ] on Friday ordered prison officials to halt the project until the Legislature approves money to complete it. Legislators were kept in the dark until revelations came to light last week that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. had nearly completed the renovation of a room to be used for carrying out lethal injections without the Legislature's knowledge -- unleashing Democratic threats to pull the plug on Schwarzenegger's $10 billion prison reform effort. "My staff has briefed the Legislature," Schwarzenegger said, "and will work cooperatively with them as we address the court's concerns on lethal injection in California." In December, U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel in San Jose San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. halted all executions in California until the administration submits plans to bring its lethal-injection procedures into compliance with constitutional prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment Such punishment as would amount to torture or barbarity, any cruel and degrading punishment not known to the Common Law, or any fine, penalty, confinement, or treatment that is so disproportionate to the offense as to shock the moral sense of the community. . Disputed procedures include the lethal chemicals used and who should administer them, but Fogel also noted that the current death chamber, designed in the 1930s as a gas chamber, is cramped, poorly lighted and unsuitable for use in lethal injections. The administration is due to report its progress on correcting flaws by May 16. |
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