Officials Focus on Williams Decision

On the eve of a life-or-death decision, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday that he is staying up late reading background material on Stanley Tookie Williams, who will die by lethal injection at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday unless the governor intervenes.

Schwarzenegger offered a rare glimpse into his thinking on the case at a news conference in the Capitol, saying that the choice he faces underscores the job’s dizzying responsibilities.

On the same day that he enthusiastically announced the appointment of Carol A. Corrigan as a state Supreme Court justice, Schwarzenegger said he was also agonizing over whether to spare Williams’ life.

“That’s just part of being governor, is to make those kinds of decisions,” he said. “And there are always in this job wonderful moments like today. This is a wonderful moment, and I love this moment. I told Carol we should take a picture in front of the Christmas tree, because it’s that kind of a thing.”

He added: “But then again you have a terrible situation where you have to make a decision on that, on the Tookie Williams thing. Yes, it is very tough to do those things.”

Williams, a four-time convicted murderer and co-founder of the Crips street gang, would become the 12th man executed in the state since 1978.

Schwarzenegger heard presentations from Williams’ attorneys and Los Angeles County prosecutors Thursday about whether to grant Williams clemency.

He said he is immersing himself in the case -- even as his administration makes a series of high-profile judicial and staff appointments. Schwarzenegger said he is keeping an open mind on Williams’ fate.

“I am looking, studying the whole thing, reading a lot -- last night until 11 o’clock, almost to midnight -- and I will be reading and doing all the research on it so we make the right decision,” the governor said.

He did not specify when he would announce his decision.

In the meantime, four members of the City Council urged Friday that Los Angeles residents remain calm after Schwarzenegger makes his decision.

In a City Hall news conference, council members Bernard C. Parks, Jan Perry, Bill Rosendahl and Herb Wesson also said that they have asked clergy members throughout the area to talk about the case with parishioners this weekend. They also asked clergy members to open their churches Monday and Tuesday to serve as a place where the community can gather and discuss the Williams case.

“We’re not here to talk about anyone’s personal beliefs about the death penalty,” Parks said. “We’re here for a specific reason; we believe in freedom of speech and the ability for the community to get out and demonstrate. We all strongly believe it should be done legally and properly and we’re concerned that those who have strong opinions one way or the other don’t jeopardize themselves or the community while expressing those views.”

Parks, Perry and Wesson represent the three districts that cover most of South Los Angeles. There have been intermittent gang problems over the years in some parts of the Westside district represented by Rosendahl.

Rosendahl, Perry and Wesson have taken public stances against the death penalty and all three briefly voiced that view Friday. All three, however, insisted that Angelenos must avert the temptation to resort to violence that destroyed large swaths of Los Angeles in riots in 1965 and 1992.

“Violence does not need to beget violence,” Rosendahl said.

“To those who believe in redemption, they should remember for the past 13 years that Mr. Williams has been talking about peace and not violence,” Wesson said. “I think the biggest respect they could pay to him is that regardless what happens, if it doesn’t come down the way they want, they should be respectful to the way that he’s lived his life the last 13 years.”

Local officials also said that they had heard some rumblings that violent demonstrations could occur if Williams is executed.

“I don’t think it’s hard to imagine that in this context there would be individuals in certain communities who would say that they expect violence,” said Robin Toma, the executive director of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations.

“What we picked up is enough to make us believe there will be an attempt in some isolated places for a violent response to what occurs,” Toma added. “If you think about that, it’s totally logical. What we have here is an individual who in a sense is a representative for many gangs, although he is clearly no longer a gang member and he is preaching a completely different message. The gangs may not necessarily understand that message well or take it the same way -- there are many opportunists in the community who will look for a reason to be violent.”