Washington State Strikes Down Death Penalty, Citing Racial Bias

The Washington Supreme Court has struck down the state’s death penalty, saying that it is imposed arbitrarily and with racial bias.

“We are confident that the association between race and the death penalty is not attributed to random chance,” the justices wrote in a majority opinion.

Gov. Jay Inslee issued a moratorium on the death penalty in Washington in 2014, and on Thursday he called the opinion a “hugely important moment in our pursuit for equal and fair application of justice.”