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California Death Penalty Moratorium Likely To Extend Into 2013

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS / AP) -- The moratorium on California's death penalty will likely extend into 2013.

Government lawyers on Wednesday agreed to resume their court battle with inmate lawyers no earlier than September, which will push back any scheduled executions into 2013 because of the time it takes a judge to rule and the expected appeals by the losers.

A federal judge halted executions nearly six years ago after finding flaws in California's executions process. Prison officials have since revised their procedures, which death row inmates allege are still flawed and exposing them to cruel and unusual punishment.

Another judge in Marin County is scheduled to hear arguments Friday over whether prison officials followed proper procedures in revising the lethal injection process. There are 720 inmates on California's death row.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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