Xavier Becerra makes his death penalty stance clear after botched Christa Pike execution

Pike’s botched execution renews death penalty scrutiny

Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike is renewing scrutiny over how states carry out the death penalty and raising questions about what legal recourse exists when that protocol goes awry. The attempt mirrors recent failures in other states, where inmates and their lawyers have argued in court that such errors amount to cruel and…

Oct 3, 2026

Xavier Becerra makes his death penalty stance clear after botched Christa Pike execution

California has 564 inmates under death sentences — and gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra is weighing in on the state’s death penalty after Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike. Notorious criminals such as Scott Peterson — convicted in 2004 of killing his wife, Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant — and serial killer Charles Ng,...

Oct 1, 2026