The Poway shooter could be an exception for California's moratorium on capital punishment

John Earnest.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The 19-year-old San Diego man who was charged with murder after a shooting at a synagogue in Poway, California, on Saturday, was held without bail on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to the alleged crime in his first court appearance. The alleged shooter, John Earnest, reportedly did not speak during the arraignment, where a judge called him an "obvious and extraordinary" risk to the public.

Earnest could face the death penalty if convicted, CNN reports, because he is accused of killing a woman — 60-year-old Lori Gilbert Kaye — based on her religious beliefs, a special circumstance which could allow California to go through with the sentencing despite Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ordering a moratorium on capital punishment in March.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.