They, as the subject of verses 28 and 29, continues to be “the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders.”

Could find no reason to pass the death sentence may be equivalent to “could find no evidence to condemn him to death” or “were not justified in condemning him to death.”

The clause they asked Pilate to have him put to death must frequently be rendered as direct discourse, for example, “they begged Pilate, Cause Jesus to be put to death.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .