Ronald Reagan on Crime

President of the U.S., 1981-1989; Republican Governor (CA)

Oversaw one execution as CA Gov., supported death penalty

On April 11, 1967, opponents of capital punishment held an all-night vigil outside Governor Reagan’s house to protest his refusal to grant clemency to Aaron Mitchell, sentenced to death for the murder of a Sacramento policeman. Reagan later said it the worst decision he had to make. Mitchell was executed at 10 AM the following day in San Quentin’s gas chamber.

This was the only execution carried out in California during Reagan’s 8 years as governor. Reagan granted clemency in the one other capital case that came to him, on the basis of evidence that the condemned man had a history of brain damage.

Reagan had been bitterly disappointed when the judge he had named to head the California Supreme Court wrote the decision striking down the state’s capital punishment statute after Reagan had left the Governor’s office.

Source: The Role of a Lifetime, by Lou Cannon, p. 504 & 803 Jul 2, 1991

Approved three new prisons and 6% growth in law enforcement

[In 1982, David Stockman presented] three budget levels for law enforcement called, at one extreme, for an increase of 14% in “real program growth” and the construction of seven new prisons. This was the increase requested by Attorney General William French Smith and designated level one on Stockman’s chart. At the other extreme, program growth was reduced by 5% and all new prisons eliminated. Reagan chose level two, which provided for program growth of nearly 6% and construction of three prisons. Source: The Role of a Lifetime, by Lou Cannon, p. 153 Jul 2, 1991

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Page last updated: Jul 14, 2008