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RESOLUTION NO. 4604
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA
URGING THE STATE LEGISLATURE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE
HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, TO ADOPT AND THE GOVERNOR TO SIGN TWO MEAS-
URES, ONE IMMEDIATELY IMPOSING A LIFE SENTENCE WITHOUT
POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE FOR ALL PERSONS PRESENTLY UNDER
DEATH SENTENCE CONVICTIONS AND FOR ALL FUTURE CONVICTIONS
FOR FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND ANOTHER RE-IMPOSING THE DEATH
PENALTY FOR COMMISSION OF MURDER UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES TRA-
DITIONALLY ABHORRED BY SOCIETY
WHEREAS, previously, first de'gree murder in California was
punishable by death or life imprisonment as determined by the triers
of fact who were allowed at their discretion to consider circumstances
surrounding the crime, the defendant's background and history, and
facts in aggravation or mitigation in fixing the penalty; and
WHEREAS, afore-described death penalty statute was found un-
constitutional for failure to require consideration of special circum-
stances by the trier of fact in fixing the death penalty and the voters
of the State of California thereafter passed a measure mandating the
death penalty only where special circumstances are found to exist such
as murder by agreement, murder of a police officer in the line of duty,
murder of a witness to a crime during its commission, murder during
robbery, kidnapping, rape, lascivious acts, or burglary, and where there
is a prior murder conviction; and
WHEREAS, in December 1976, the California State Supreme Court
again found the California death penalty unconstitutional for failure
to require consider.ation <;>f circumstances surrounding the crime, the
defendant's background and history, and facts in aggravation or mitiga-
tion in fix~ng the death penalty, thereby in effect reducing all exist-
ing death penalty sentences to the minimum twenty years, thus rendering
murderers sentenced to death eligible for parole within seven years.
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4604
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City
of Arcadia as follows:
1. That for the health, safety and welfare of the people
of the state of' California, the City of Arcadia hereby urges the State
Legislature to immediately adopt and the .Governor to sign a measure
imposing a life seritence without possibility of parole on all persons
with existing deat:h sentences and for all and future convictions for
first-degree murder.
2. That for the health, safety and welfare of the people of
the State of California, the City of Arcadia urges that the State
Legislature adopt and the Governor sign a measure re-imposing the death
penalty for commission of murder, under circumstances traditionally
abhorred by societ;y.
3. That the City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this
-
resolution and shall cause a certified copy thereof to be forwarded to
other representatives in the State Legislature for appropriate distri-
bution, The League of California Cities and San Gabriel Valley
Association of C1ties.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing resolution was adopted at
a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Arcadia held on
the 4th day of J'anuary, 1977, by the affirmative vote of at least three
Councilmen, to wit:
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4604
AYES: Councilmen Gilb, Margett, Parry, Saelid and Lauber
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
t&;1>~~~~
CJ.ty Clerk 0 e ity of ArcadJ.a
SIGNED AND APPROVED this 4th day of January, 1977.
~ y ~~~t~~
ayor of the City of Arcadia
city Clerk
(SEAL)
)
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4604
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