In his testimony to the Nebraska Legislature, Dieter states, “ In 1988, the Sacramento Bee found that the death penalty cost California $90 million annually beyond the ordinary expenses of the justice system, of which $78 million was incurred at the trial level. But the costs have increased sharply since then. As noted above, the costs now are estimated at $137 million per year” (Dieter 5). Over the last couple of decades, the cost of using the death penalty as a form of punishment in California has grown by the millions and is continuing to increase yearly. This is also true for numerous other states that still utilize the death penalty. The price is becoming too staggering for states to keep operating. The state must spend massive amounts of money on expenses such as trials, attorneys, and the process of enacting the final blow on the criminal receiving the punishment.It can take years to go through all the trials, and with more time comes more funds. With towering prices and other contributing factors, the usage of the death penalty is