California death penalty cases are declining

LOS ANGELES At the same time the ACLU says death penalty sentencing is on the rise in California and Los Angeles.

In a report issued by the ACLU, the number of death sentences nationwide in 2009 reached the lowest level since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

At the same time, the ACLU says during 2009 California sent more people to death row than in the seven preceding years.

The ACLU says Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties account for 83% of California death sentences.

The ACLU report says Los Angeles is the top death penalty county in the United States.