Capital Punishment

Richard Ramirez, "Night Stalker" Murderer, Dies on Death Row

Richard Ramirez, one of the most infamous convicted murderers in California history whose serial crimes were described as both abominable and cruel, died this morning while on death row. He was 53. Ramirez, better known as the "Night Stalker," stirred up an air of fear across Southern California du ... More >>

Antolin Garcia Torres, Sierra LaMar Murder Suspect, Expected to Enter Plea Today

Antolin Garcia-Torres, the man accused of kidnapping and murdering 15-year-old Sierra LaMar, is expected to appear in court Tuesday where he will finally enter a plea. The arraignment is slated for 9:30 a.m. at the Hall of Justice in San Jose. Police have yet to recover LaMar's body or any weapons, ... More >>

Senate Attempts to Reassess Solitary Confinement

Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights held a hearing to reassess the consequences of solitary confinement in prisons. The hearing opened with a video, playing testimony from a young woman whose 17-year-old brother committed suicide after ... More >>

"Choked": Economic Parable Exposes Social Mores

What's Your Death Row Last Meal?

James Reynolds/Last SuppersRecreations of condemned inmates' actual last meal requests​I got to thinking about death-row last meal requests last week, which naturally made me think of mine. I don't want to speculate about why I'd be executed. Naturally, I would be being framed. I also asked ... More >>

Dear Texas: If You Must Kill Prisoners, Please Give Them a Last Meal

A typical last meal in Texas. Now with less chicken!​Texas and California don't have a lot in common politically, except for incarceration. Both states love to put people in prison, so much so that we're going to have to let a bunch of ours out soon. Texas has a different means of slightly re ... More >>

George Gascón Won't Seek Death Penalty for German Tourist Killing

San Francisco is rubbing off on him​District Attorney George Gascón might have reached a defining moment in his campaign for DA today after announcing he would not seek the death penalty for the high-profile killing of a German tourist last summer. It's a watershed moment, politically speaking, b ... More >>

Albert Greenwood Brown Execution: Court of Appeal Demands Judge Reconsider Delay

California Department of CorrectionsAlbert Greenwood Brown, convicted rapist and murderer, may live to breathe another day​SF Weekly earlier reported that Albert Greenwood Brown's 9 p.m. Thursday execution would come just three hours before the expiration of one of the drugs that would kill him. T ... More >>

Be Like Mike

War is Hell

Seattle art rock climax

Suspended Sentence

After Innocence probes life after a wrongful conviction

The Witness

"And tonight, my brothers and sisters, we add one Donald Jay Beardslee."

Snoop Dogg

R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece

Gale Farce

Kevin isn't the only thing Spacey in this overlong death-penalty drama

Poet of the Fallen World

How an S.F. theater troupe helped turn a reclusive novelist into a full-fledged playwright

Recordings