Execution: What message are we sending?

[hortysir]

Over 122 death row inmates have been released due to DNA and other convincing evidence of their innocence. A jury convicted them and the jury was dead wrong, the prosecution was wrong and the evidence was lacking. And you folks favor more of this?
Scary shit. Prosecutorial mosconduct is at an alltime high in the over worked courts.
The death penalty is not fairly sought. The innocent that have been executed before DNA are the obvious answer. We should end it now.

So are we supposed to flush our entire judicial system and not dole out anymore death penalties?
What is your alternative?

 

[Screaming Eagle]

I read this story on a forwarded message and can not confirm its truth but the story, true or not, has surely touched me.

"My name is Abdul. I am from a land that is opressed by its leaders. In my land, men were killed on the streets. Men watched in horror as others were ordered to be executed by those whom are supposed to lead us and guide us. I have come to America the day before I wrote this. It was June 18, 2010. I had decided to move to an area called Utah because I had heard of the people's generosity and religious faith. I arrived in the land at a time around 10:40 with my appointed escort, whom is currently writing this message and interpreting it to make sense to you. We checked into a hotel at around 11:20. I decided to take my first American shower. It was so warm and long. When I got out it was around 11:50. I lay down but could not sleep. My escort showed me how to function this strange technology called television. I sat watching a man talk about various idols of the land when suddenly a very strapping, important-looking man cut into the show I was watching. He was making a speech. I didn't understand what was going on, but I could tell it was important. I called my escort into the room but the man had dissappeared from the screen before she got there. I made her stay with me for a while as we watched the man return to talk about idols. Again, a man cut into my show. He made an announcement. I looked to my escort who told me, "A man was sentenced to die. They just executed him. They had five men shoot him to death." I guess America isn't so different after all. "

The story seems to have some gaps in it to me, but it just got me thinking. Is that really the message we want to send out. After all, God commanded all men "Thou shalt not kill"

Actually it was more like "Thou shalt not murder".

and, no matter what the government says, he did not command "Thou shalt not kill unless..."

yes he did

 

[goldcatt]

Over 122 death row inmates have been released due to DNA and other convincing evidence of their innocence. A jury convicted them and the jury was dead wrong, the prosecution was wrong and the evidence was lacking. And you folks favor more of this?
Scary shit. Prosecutorial mosconduct is at an alltime high in the over worked courts.
The death penalty is not fairly sought. The innocent that have been executed before DNA are the obvious answer. We should end it now.

So are we supposed to flush our entire judicial system and not dole out anymore death penalties?
What is your alternative?

Just fix the problems inherent within the system. Here's one of many good places to start:

DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR THIRD JUDICIALDIST. v. OSBORNE

If a defendant's attorney failed to have potentially exculpatory evidence tested for trial, should the now-convict be able to do so at his own expense after the fact to try to clear his name? The law right now says NO, he is not entitled to have access to the evidence used against him even though it could prove he is innocent. These are the kinds of problems and oversights that pop up and make so many people question whether the justice system is really interested in justice, IMO rightfully so. Fix these holes and you have a much better argument for capital punishment.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Sounds like it was written by your typical Liberal activist.

 

[Gadawg73]

Over 122 death row inmates have been released due to DNA and other convincing evidence of their innocence. A jury convicted them and the jury was dead wrong, the prosecution was wrong and the evidence was lacking. And you folks favor more of this?
Scary shit. Prosecutorial mosconduct is at an alltime high in the over worked courts.
The death penalty is not fairly sought. The innocent that have been executed before DNA are the obvious answer. We should end it now.

So are we supposed to flush our entire judicial system and not dole out anymore death penalties?
What is your alternative?

Life with no parole and save 5 million in the process.

 

[Gadawg73]

Sounds like it was written by your typical Liberal activist.

I fell off my dinosaur the first time I heard that bogus argument.
I am a conservative.

 

[Newby]

I don't know if I'd go THAT far. Can we do it on cable pay per view?

Execution needs to carry a large foot print as a deterrent. Public executions done reasonably quickly after the crime would meet that requirement. Isn't it telling that Federal executions can occur in a couple years and State ones drag on for years and years?

No, executions do not serve as deterant. Most of the people that kill, would kill in any case. As a matter of fact, when executions were public, the murder rate did not change at all.

The purpose of execution is to remove the danger that a pathologically sociopathic person presents to the rest of the citizens of this nation. People like John Gacy or Ted Bundy cannot be rehabilitated and will be a danger to all as long as they are alive.

I agree with you on that piece of it, it's more about justice than it being used as a deterrent.

My niece was brutally tortured and murdered by 6 people in February, it has just been decided that the three most responsible for what happened will face the death penalty. I was very relieved to see that since the least they can now get is life w/o parole, they should never be set free again and hopefully there will be justice for my niece at the end. They are people without any conscience who would kill again, they should either be executed or never see the light of day again.

 

[Big Fitz]

What message is Utah trying to send? "We shoot varmints and are good shots?"

 

[hortysir]

Over 122 death row inmates have been released due to DNA and other convincing evidence of their innocence. A jury convicted them and the jury was dead wrong, the prosecution was wrong and the evidence was lacking. And you folks favor more of this?
Scary shit. Prosecutorial mosconduct is at an alltime high in the over worked courts.
The death penalty is not fairly sought. The innocent that have been executed before DNA are the obvious answer. We should end it now.

So are we supposed to flush our entire judicial system and not dole out anymore death penalties?
What is your alternative?

Life with no parole and save 5 million in the process.

And make up for it with, how much does it cost per year to house an inmate????

 

[Gadawg73]

So are we supposed to flush our entire judicial system and not dole out anymore death penalties?
What is your alternative?

Life with no parole and save 5 million in the process.

And make up for it with, how much does it cost per year to house an inmate????

Cost of trying a death penalty case in court is 25 times higher than a life with parole case.
It takes 12-15 years of appeals.
Guess why?

 

[hortysir]

Life with no parole and save 5 million in the process.

And make up for it with, how much does it cost per year to house an inmate????

Cost of trying a death penalty case in court is 25 times higher than a life with parole case.
It takes 12-15 years of appeals.
Guess why?

Lawyers!!!


What'd I win?




To answer the OP:
It sends the message that if you kill someone we will kill you *back*!