LA County DA George Gascón supports ban on death penalty in federal cases
PublishedÂ
(Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón -- who issued a directive barring prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in any new murder cases upon taking office last month -- announced Tuesday that he supports a measure that would ban the death penalty in federal cases.
The county's top prosecutor said in a written statement that he "wholeheartedly" supports legislation to be re-introduced by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and incoming Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard Durbin, D-Illinois, to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level and to require re-sentencing for those who are currently on death row in such cases.