Death Penalty Cases

As the assistant district attorney in charge of death penalty cases, I must correct any misimpressions created by the letter from Robert Kulick (Jan. 25). Kulick’s brother Sherman was killed tragically when he was shot during a robbery of his jewelry business. The jury found both Gregory Norwood and Keith Ross guilty of first-degree murder, and we expect they will be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Kulick says he spoke to the trial prosecutor who told him that “a committee in the district’s attorney’s office decided because of the costs involved in appeals, it’s cheaper to seek life imprisonment without parole.” Contrary to his assertion, our trial deputy did not tell him this.

The decision to seek life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty is the most serious we make in the district attorney’s office and is based on a number of factors which are enumerated in the California Penal Code. A committee of senior administrators meets every week to carefully review each special-circumstance case to decide if it merits the death penalty. Our office also provides each defense counsel an opportunity to give us information about his or her client and the facts of each case, from his or her point of view, before the matter is discussed.

I can assure Kulick and the public that the district attorney’s office does not make death penalty decisions based on the possible cost of appeals. We seek protection for the public and a just result.

FRANK E. SUNDSTEDT

Assistant District Attorney

L.A. County