Published on: Tuesday, September 14, 2021

A coalition of district attorneys and county prosecutors from around the state made noise on Tuesday, presenting a joint letter to be sent to Governor Spencer Cox and the State Legislature, asking for a repeal of the death penalty (article available here).

Citing six specific reasons, the prosecutors from Grand County, Summit County, Utah County, and  Salt Lake County combined their influence to pen a recommendation to replace the death penalty sentence for aggravated murder to a term of 45 years to life. The coalition of attorneys in Utah referred to a study concluding that death penalty convictions cost taxpayers $1.12 million more than holding them for life.

“A death sentence also carries the inevitable expenses of appeal. The taxpayers must pay for both the prosecution and the defense in these hearings,” the letter reads.