'I do not support the death penalty': Why did the prosecutor in the Laken Riley murder case ask for life imprisonment?

CNN
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When Deborah Gonzalez ran for election as District Attorney for the Western Judicial Circuit of Georgia in 2020, she made no statement about her stance on the death penalty.

“I do not support the death penalty” Gonzalez wrote on Twitter:now X in September 2020. “This is cruel and inhumane. As the Attorney General of Athens, I will not seek GA in any prosecution. An eye for an eye debate does not integrate our community. That’s what restorative justice does.”

He remained true to that position throughout his four-year tenure as district attorney — including the most recent one. Jose Ibarra’s murder trialThe 26-year-old immigrant was found guilty of murdering nursing student Laken Riley.

The prosecution at trial recommended that Ibarra be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, as did Riley’s family members.

“Your Honor, I ask that you please give Jose Ibarra the same thing he gave us when he chose to take Laken’s life and destroy ours. Laken showed no mercy as he pleaded for his life, his mother Allyson Phillips told the court. “I ask you to give this monster life without the chance of parole so that he never has the chance to harm anyone again.”

Judge H. Patrick Haggard agreed and handed down the sentence Wednesday afternoon.

HE It was no surprise to those in the courtroom. In May, three months after the murder, the Western Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office announced that it would not seek the death penalty in the Ibarra case. The decision was made “after careful deliberation with the senior prosecutor and the support of (Riley’s) family” and “underlines our unwavering determination to pursue justice for the most heinous crimes,” according to a press release.

But the punishment, which falls short of the death penalty, has drawn criticism from some right-wing ardents such as U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

“Jose Ibarra deserves the death penalty” Georgia Republican wrote on X. “As Laken’s mother Allyson asks the judge, Laken’s evil killer deserves the same thing he gave Laken.”

A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office defended the decision to seek a life sentence in an email statement on Thursday.

“Life without parole is an appropriately serious sentence and, as heard in impact statements at yesterday’s sentencing, it is a decision supported by the family,” spokeswoman Dawn Brinkley said.

<p>CNN’s Rafael Romo reports on the verdict in the murder case of Laken Riley, a nursing student killed by illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra. </p>
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Gonzalez’s stance against the death penalty and towards criminal justice reform makes him one of the following: wave of progressive prosecutors It will be elected nationwide in 2020.

In the final days of Donald Trump’s first administration, Gonzalez wrote: Opinion critical of USA Today the administration’s “disregard for human life” and use of the death penalty.

“The death penalty represents the worst parts of us—revenge and cruelty—and does nothing to deter crime or make our communities safer,” Gonzalez and two others wrote. “It’s been a long time since the death penalty was completely abolished. And Americans together states “They are increasingly embracing this reform and aligning with other Western democracies.”

Gonzalez laid out his views further in January 2022. Interview with VoyageATL magazine.

“I am a progressive prosecutor – which means I recognize my power and am committed to using it to eliminate injustices in the criminal justice system – reducing mass incarceration, reducing harm to society due to the prison industrial complex, keeping people in prison. I seek to help my community heal with every decision I make.” “I am responsible for what they do through restorative measures and diversion programs,” he said.

These views were put to the test in February when 22-year-old nursing student Riley was put to the test. He was killed while jogging on the University of Georgia campus. The suspect in the murder was Ibarra, a Venezuelan immigrant who entered the country illegally.

Four days after the murder, Gonzalez appointed Sheila Ross of the Prosecuting Council to join the task force in the murder case.

“We welcome him back as an expert, knowledgeable and well-respected trial attorney prepared to pursue justice on behalf of Lake Riley,” Gonzalez said in a statement.

Three months later, Gonzalez released a statement announcing that prosecutors would not seek the death penalty.

“Our greatest duty is to ensure that justice is served and that the victim’s family is an integral part of the negotiation process,” Gonzalez said. “We know there will be people outside of this office who will oppose our decision and try to exploit this case for political gain. “But the integrity of our judicial process and the pursuit of justice must always go beyond political considerations.”

Four years since the 2020 election, this wave of progressive prosecutors has run aground. A nationwide Sharp increase in murders from 2020 to 2022 It helped fuel the backlash against officials like Gonzalez.

He was dismissed from his position earlier this month. just collected 41 percent of the votes are lost to independent Kalki Yalamanchili, who criticized his leadership in office and his opposition to the death penalty.

“I don’t think you should categorically rule out the death penalty, and if I see a case where I think it’s appropriate, our office will look for it,” he said in an interview with . Athens Politics Nerd.

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