USA - California. Clarence Ray has had his death sentence changed to life without parole.

Clarence Ray, 59, White, has had his death sentence changed to life without parole. The Kern County District Attorney agreed to the change because she says fighting it would have wasted tax payer dollars. Ray confessed to the April 17, 1984 murder of Kathy Lynn Hyde, 31, while he was already in prison in Michigan for a murder there. After his confession, Ray was sentenced to death in Kern County on July 28, 1989. The D.A. says since Ray was already serving life without parole in Michigan, he would not be turned over to California until he died. Michigan officials even told the D.A. that they do not turn over inmates to states where the death penalty is used. Michigan does not have the death penalty. Recently 2 attorneys working on Ray's behalf petitioned a Kern County judge to have Ray's death penalty sentence overturned. The D.A. could have fought the petition, but since Michigan won't turn Ray over and fighting the petition could have cost the D.A.'s office more than $100,000, it was decided to agree to what is called a stipulation. The stipulation was an agreement to allow the death sentence to be changed to life without parole. The 2 sides took the stipulation to Kern County Superior Court Judge Michael Delostritto on Wednesday and he agreed to change the sentence. The D.A. says the change in sentence is largely procedural because Ray will likely never serve a day of the sentence since he is already doing life without parole in Michigan.