Yesterday, we reviewed the data for the year-by-year numbers of mandatory death penalty appeals decided by the California Supreme Court. Today, we review the overall affirmance rates, county by county.
For the entire period, the Court has decided 425 death penalty appeals. The Court has affirmed 342 in all respects. The Court has partially reversed while leaving the penalty intact in another 45, partially reversed vacating the penalty in 25 cases, and reversed outright in 12 cases. This translates to an affirmance rate of 80.47%. The Court has partially reversed 10.59% with the penalty affirmed, partially reversed with penalty reversed another 5.88%; and reversed in all respects 2.82% of the death penalty cases.
Eleven counties had at least one of their cases reversed in part (with the penalty vacated) or reversed outright: Los Angeles (83.7%); San Mateo (87.5%); Alameda (96.3%); Riverside (90.91%); Kern (93.33%); Orange (94.29%); Stanislaus (88.89%); Ventura (85.71%); Shasta (75%); Monterey (80%) and Contra Costa (85.71%).
A total of twenty-four counties have had one hundred percent of their death penalty appeals either affirmed outright, or affirmed in part with the penalty upheld: Placer, Sacramento, Butte, Merced, San Diego, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Calveras, El Dorado, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Humboldt, Solano, Santa Barbara, Napa, Lake, Marin and Tehana counties.
Join us back here tomorrow as we turn to another phase of our analysis of the Supreme Court's decision making.
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