In photo above, three members of the Diocese of Sacramento's Independent Review Board are, left to right: Thomas Flynn, Patricia Aguiar and Judge Talmadge Jones.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Talmadge Jones, who retired in 2007 after 18 years of service on the bench, approaches his role as chair of the Diocese of Sacramento’s Independent Review Board (IRB) in a similar way, assessing information and evidence from all sides and striving to be fair to all parties involved. He says his judicial background gives him an appreciation for precedent, proof and fairness for all.

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, in whose Archdiocese the death chamber is located, has issued the following statement on behalf of the California Catholic Conference of Bishops regarding the declaration of a moratorium on executions by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

“The Roman Catholic Bishops of California welcome the announcement by Governor Newsom today that he is declaring a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in the state of California.  We appreciate this recognition that the state has the adequate means to defend human dignity and public safety without recourse to capital punishment.  We ask the Governor to urge the legislature to find a permanent legislative solution that will end the practice of capital punishment in our state for good.

In photo above, Jim Collins (center), grand knight of St. Thomas More Council 7773 in Paradise, stands with fellow members David Lemire (left) and Greg Kidder in front of the gutted rectory of St. Thomas More Church.

David Lemire was dropping off his 10-year-old daughter at school last November when he noticed smoke moving over the steeple of St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Minutes later, the smoke became darker. Then dense ash the size of potato chips starting falling from the sky.

Lemire became worried and informed Greg Kidder, the facility manager at St. Thomas More, that he was leaving with his daughter and son to pack supplies.