@ Support a Moratorium on the
VIRGINIANS FOR Death Penalty &
ALTERNATIVES Save the Taxpayers of Virginia Unnecessary Costs
TO THE DEATH PENALTY
Why a Moratorium?
e The capital justice system in Virginia is broken and it is crucial to take a time out and
examine these issues - it is a matter of life and death!
e Numerous states have studied the cost of the death penalty and found that the death penalty
costs taxpayers more than life imprisonment.
What does the death penalty cost?
¢ No cost study has yet been done in VIRGINIA, but the data from other studies demonstrates the
cost savings that Virginia could benefit from by eliminating the death penalty.
e NORTH CAROLINA taxpayers spend $2.16 million per execution over the costs of
sentencing murderers to life imprisonment. (Duke University, May 1993)
e InMARYLAND, arecent study found that it costs:
0 $1.1 million to prosecute a capital eligible case in which the death penalty is not
sought.
0 $1.8 million to prosecute a capital-eligible case in which prosecutors unsuccessfully
sought the death penalty
0 $3 million to prosecute a capital-eligible case resulting in the death penalty (Urban
Institute, The Cost of the Death Penalty in Maryland, March 2008)
¢ InCALIFORNIA the current system costs $137 million per year; it would cost $11.5 million
for a system without the death penalty. (California Commission for the Fair Administration of Justice, July
2008)
¢ InKANSAS, the costs of capital cases are 70% more expensive than comparable non-capital
cases, including the costs of incarceration. (Kansas Performance Audit Report, December 2003)
¢ InFLORIDA $51 million per year is spent above what it would cost to punish all 1*-degree
murderers with life without parole. (Palm Beach Post, January 2000)
Why does the death penalty cost more?
(Urban Institute, The Cost of the Death Penalty in Maryland, March 2008)
e The Maryland study determined that 70% of the added cost occurs during the trial phase
because of the complexity of trial and required resources, including:
o Additional time and complexity to determine eligibility of jurors - all must be
willing to impose the death penalty.
0 The guilt/innocence phase of a capital trial generally requires longer trials, more
expert witnesses, more defense attomeys, more prosecutors assigned to the case, and
more motions and hearings.
0 Ifaguilty verdict is issued, death notice cases have a second phase of trial to
determine sentencing - there is no comparable phase in non-death cases.
o Significant resources and a multi-disciplinary team of professionals conduct an
exhaustive life history investigation to prepare mitigating factors for the penalty phase.
e Itis more expensive to house a Death Row Inmate than an inmate serving a life sentence.
e The average number of appeals for capital-eligible cases that result in the death penalty are
greater than those were a death notice was not issued or unsuccessfully sought.
P.O. Box 4804, Charlottesville, VA 22905 « Toll Free: (888) 567-8237 * Fax: (434) 984-2803 * office@vadp.org * www.VADP.org
