From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Capital Punishment and Alberto Gonzalez.

Hello again, I'm Orman Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International,

a daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

Responding to a nationwide backlog on death row, Congress passed a law that could speed up the pace of executions.

It transfers certain powers from federal judges to the Attorney General of the United States.

That's focused new attention on Alberto Gonzalez.

On to the point, what's his record on Capitol punishment cases in Washington and previously

in Texas?

Death penalty advocates say he's the right man

to handle issues of life and death.

Others raise questions about the potential

for executing the wrong people

when the process moves too fast.

On reporter's notebook later on,

The verdict is in on Jose Padilla. First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio

International Program Fund, whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John D. and

Catherine T. McArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Warren Alney, back with To the Point. Juries are handing out death sentences faster than states can conduct executions.

Congress has given the U.S. Attorney General new powers to speed up the process.

On To the Point is Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez the right man for the job.

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