The Death Penalty? What do you think? (page 2)

daniel-p

It may be barbaric, but if the state shouldn't kill its own citizens, what if it gave the authority to do so to the victim's family? It would be their choice, no one else's. After all, the crime was against them. Also, it would leave the choice of taking someone else's life in the hands of individual victims, bringing the implication of it full circle. Then again, this may be just a leftover idea of mine derived from the Old Testament.... But I think there's wisdom in a policy like that.

avishai

Barbie doll, children RARELY lie in these cases.

yknot

Greg Abbott the AG of Texas has been wrestling with this...... unfortunately many abusers are family members and the fear of an automatic death penalty may discourage victims from speaking up.

Personally I wouldn't mind seeing these criminals isolated to special prisons say like in Brewster County. Upon my first visit there a state trooper lost his life because he got stranded. Brewster County is both stunningyly beautiful and deadly. I think length of sentences should be increased and with no chance of early parole.

Howerver in the end each cases is unique, in some cases I do think the death penalty is merited others not. Remember consensual teenage sex can lead to sex offender registery for statuatory rape.

Gregor

Interesting this came up now. The US Supreme Court just today upheld lethal injection as constitutional for executions.

In this day and age of DNA evidence, video and other types of advanced forensic methods, convicting an innocent person to the degree required to merit a death penalty is almost impossible. For most people, taking the life of a cold blooded murderer of innocents or those who molest children is the very definition of justice. Those who disagree are in the minority and usually have a moral superiority complex, aka, a liberal.

Barbie Doll

avishai------I know a case where the children where lying, and they found out later, that the children where lying.

5go

The problem is no one wants to prevent crimes (IE cameras every where helping people out before they commit offences mainly because they don't want to be caught themselves) but they sure want to kill people for them. It's mass madness and hopefully more people will wake up from it.

Country Girl

In this day and age of DNA evidence, video and other types of advanced forensic methods, convicting an innocent person to the degree required to merit a death penalty is almost impossible. For most people, taking the life of a cold blooded murderer of innocents or those who molest children is the very definition of justice. Those who disagree are in the minority and usually have a moral superiority complex, aka, a liberal.

Liberals, Republicans, Constitutionalists, whatever. Noone wants to see someone die for something they didn't do. There are so many cases coming up where people on Death Row have been there for twenty years, and are getting out because of DNA. How could you possibly want to put someone to death, or even condemn them to death when the process is not perfect?

CG

Country Girl

This is something that takes my breath away:

By REBECCA BOONE, Associated Press Writer Wed Apr 16, 9:10 PM ET

BOISE, Idaho - A man who murdered three members of a family and raped their two young children before killing one of them as well wants to act as his own attorney during his death penalty hearing, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Joseph Edward Duncan III did not speak in court and gave no indication if he was upset with his attorneys, and defense lawyer Mark Larranaga didn't say why Duncan was hoping to represent himself.

U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge said he would consider the matter Friday.

Jury selection, from a pool of some 350 candidates, began this week for Duncan's penalty hearing. Lodge said choosing a panel could take until the end of the month.

Duncan could face the death penalty for the kidnapping, sexual abuse and death of 9-year-old Dylan Groene in 2005. He pleaded guilty in December to 10 federal charges in the abduction of Dylan and his sister Shasta Groene, then 8.

Duncan had stalked the Groene family for a time before breaking into their Coeur d'Alene home in mid-May 2005 and murdering 13-year-old Slade Groene, his mother, Brenda Groene, and her fiance Mark McKenzie in order to abduct Dylan and Shasta. He abused the two younger children for weeks before killing Dylan with a shotgun and returning with Shasta to the Coeur d'Alene region , where he was arrested.

Duncan has pleaded guilty to the first three murders in Idaho state court, but a judge postponed his sentencing on those counts until after the federal sentencing hearing is completed. If the federal jury declines to recommend the death penalty for Duncan, instead recommending life in prison without parole, he would still be eligible for capital punishment in the state court.

Allowing a defendant to take over his own defense during a sentencing phase is a tricky proposition, but many courts have allowed it, said death penalty expert Adam Thurschwell, who was a member of the defense team for Terry Nichols in the Oklahoma City bombing case.

"This happens a fair amount, and it could be any number of things," Thurschwell said. "Not infrequently, it's the defendant's desire to get executed. Another even more common reason is a disagreement with the lawyers about their strategy during the mitigation phase."

Duncan's defense team may want to show the jury that Duncan had a highly traumatic childhood, possibly revealing intimate facts about his family life, Thurschwell said.

"On one hand, that situation can be particularly painful for the defendant and on the other hand it is often quite embarrassing. For some defendants, they would rather take the risk of dying than to have that be aired in court," he said.

One thing is clear, Thurschwell said: Whoever ends up representing Duncan has a difficult task.

"From a defense perspective it's about as hard a case as I can imagine," he said.

The fact that there is a video showing Duncan committing the abuse — which might be shown to the jury — makes the case even more difficult.

"My own guess would be that the defense will try to get them to see the defendant as an individual who has been victimized as defenselessly and horribly and brutally as his own victims," Thurschwell said.

On Wednesday, nearly 60 potential jurors were summoned for the first round of individual questioning.

One possible juror was dismissed after she told the court that the crime was so heinous that Duncan automatically deserves death. Another man was dismissed after saying he was concerned that he might have to view a videotape that officials said depicted Duncan's sadistic sexual abuse of Dylan.

Duncan's defense lawyers have repeatedly asked the potential jurors if there was anything they could hear that would make them less likely to recommend death. Some said that knowing Duncan was remorseful or had a terrible childhood might sway them.

kurtbethel

I have very little softness in my heart for brutal thugs.

I recognize that bringing them to justice is not perfect, and executing the wrong person does not allow for a do over.

In California prison there is a man named David Westerfield. He is on death row with some 600 people ahead of him in line, with maybe one execution per year, so he will live there until he dies. He was convicted of raping and killing a 7 year old girl. It was circumstantial, but I think he did it based on what his lawyer put forth to defend him.

So here is the point. He used to have a great life, dream job, family, going to the desert or beach in his RV. Now he wakes up every day in a 9x12 room, and has to eat, eliminate waste and sleep at the direction of other men. For the rest of his life, every day. That is true punishment. It still leaves room for remedy if the prosecutor got it wrong.

ninja

I've always wanted to be well hung....so yep

The Death Penalty? What do you think?

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