HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 21 (UPI) — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Gov. Tom Wolf acted within the law when he imposed a moratorium on capital punishment shortly after taking office in January.
Wolf’s reasoning for imposing the moratorium was that he believes the death penalty is “ineffective, unjust and expensive.” Ultimately, though, the Democratic governor drew a challenge to that decision from Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams in February.
Capital punishment has been a hot button issue for decades, but even more so in recent years as compounding pharmacies have started to cut off their drug supplies to state governments on moral and ethical grounds.
Monday, the high court issued a unanimous 33-page ruling that upheld Wolf’s moratorium.
“We conclude that at the time the reprieve power was adopted in the 1790 Constitution, the Governor’s authority to issue a reprieve was not understood as being limited to granting reprieves with a specific end date or for a purpose relating only to the prisoner’s unique circumstances, but rather encompassed any temporary postponement of sentence,” Justice Max Baer wrote for the court.
“It is not our task to address the wisdom of Governor Wolf’s issuance of Williams’ reprieve, but only its constitutional validity,” he added.
Justice Correale Stevens issued his own opinion, although it agreed with the other justices.
“While I concur with the Majority finding that the Governor has the authority to issue a temporary reprieve in this case, I write separately to express my concern that our decision does not encourage or validate executive branch nullification of lawfully enacted statutes,” he wrote. “The Majority’s conclusion that the Governor has the power to issue reprieves is consistent with a plain language interpretation of the Constitution.”
The matter began its ascent to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court when Wolf granted a reprieve earlier this year to a death row inmate who was convicted and sentenced to death for a 1984 murder.
Wolf applauded the court’s ruling in a statement later Monday.
“I am pleased the court upheld the constitutional authority of the governor to issue temporary reprieves in death penalty cases,” he said. “My decision to issue temporary reprieves came after significant consideration and reflection, and was in no way an expression of sympathy for the guilty on death row.
“My only sympathy lies with the family members of the victims of these horrible crimes.”
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