Prosecutors Want To Hear From Voters On Death Penalty

Washington state prosecutors want to know if you want the death penalty to remain law or if it should be abolished. In fact, the Washington Association of  Prosecuting Attorneys say they'll ask lawmakers to send a death penalty referendum to voters next year.

Yakima County Prosecutor Joe Brusic, who spoke on-air with News Talk KIT Tuesday morning, says it's time for people to speak.

"If you want it, vote for it." Brusic says. "If you don't want it, then vote accordingly. But what we want it to be re-established by the people to show us as prosecutors how important it is one way or the other?"

The death penalty has been on hold in Washington state since last year, when Gov. Jay Inslee issued a moratorium for as long as he's in office. Currently, nine men are on death row in Washington state. Inslee's moratorium means that if a death-penalty case comes to his desk, he will issue a reprieve, which means the inmate would stay in prison rather than face execution. now prosecutors want to know if the penalty should be taken off the books for good.

The next legislative session begins in January.