California on Blast
California's Execution Protocol

Since 2006, federal and state courts have enjoined executions by California. In 2006, the federal district court of northern district of California enjoined the state from executing death row inmate Michael Morales on grounds that, as administered, the state's lethal injection protocol violated the Eighth Amendment—prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

The state subsequently amended the protocol, but again, lack of compliance with federal and state administrative procedures, California's execution protocol was again enjoined. Putting a halt to the state's ambitions to execute Michael Morales and the dozen or so men and women awaiting execution in 2008.

Finally, in 2010, after another substantial failure to comply with its own state laws and procedures, the state court permanently enjoined executions in California until the state is able to adopt an execution protocol which doesn't violate its own protocol law. As of 2013, California has since been without any execution protocol by which to execute its death row inmates.
(See Morales vs. Tuton vs. Cal. Dept of Corr. & Rehab. 16B CAL.APP 4th 729, 732 (2008))

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California on Blast
Death By Other Means

It's a known fact that the vast majority of those sentences to death in California will not actually be executed by the state. The most common way out of California's death row isn't by execution but death by other means.

Of the 511 individuals sentenced to death between 1978 and 1997, 79 died of natural causes, suicides, or causes other than execution by the state of California.

As of 2014, only 17 death row inmates in the state are currently awaiting execution while the vast majority of the 700+ are in their post-conviction review process (appeal) in the state and federal courts. A process in which usually takes 25 years or more before a death sentence is either vacated or affirmed at its final state.

CDCR summary 1978 and 1997
https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Capital_Punishment/docs/CONDEMNED-INMATES-WHO-HAVE-DIED-SINCE-1978.pdf