Jury Can't Use Bible in Death Penalty Case?

[Zhukov]

Jury Can't Use Bible in Death Penalty Case

By STEVEN K. PAULSON
Associated Press Writer

DENVER (AP) -- Ruling that juries cannot turn to the Bible for advice during deliberations, a divided Colorado Supreme Court threw out the death penalty for a convicted murderer because jurors discussed verses from Scripture.

In a 3-2 vote on Monday, justices ordered Robert Harlan to serve life without parole for kidnapping Rhonda Maloney and raping her at gunpoint for two hours before fatally shooting her.

Authorities said Maloney, a 25-year-old cocktail waitress, was on her way home from work at a casino. Harlan later admitted killing her, but said he was addled by cocaine, alcohol and rage.

Harlan was sentenced to death in 1995, but defense lawyers learned that five jurors had looked up such Bible verses as "eye for eye, tooth for tooth," copied them and discussed them while deliberating behind closed doors.

Defense attorney Kathleen Lord, arguing before the state Supreme Court last month, said the jurors had gone outside the law. "They went to the Bible to find out God's position on capital punishment," she said.

http://staging.hosted.ap.org/dynami...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-03-28-21-44-08

 

[dmp]

just another step towards making christianity illegal.

 

[Joz]

just another step towards making christianity illegal.

Yep.

 

[Mr. P]

You guys...LOL...If the Bible was "LAW" we'd all be screwed.

 

[dilloduck]

http://staging.hosted.ap.org/dynami...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-03-28-21-44-08

about as unconstitutional as you can get

 

[Bonnie]

just another step towards making christianity illegal.

Dead On here Darin! It's being done incrementally but surely.

 

[MissileMan]

just another step towards making christianity illegal.

These jurors had a duty to reach their decision based on the laws and constitution of Colorado. The bible had no business in the deliberation.

 

[dmp]

These jurors had a duty to reach their decision based on the laws and constitution of Colorado. The bible had no business in the deliberation.

They had the duty to reach their decision based on THEIR views about how the case was presented; the facts in the case. Personal perceptions are formed from a variety of sources. Put me on a Jury about somebody stealing, and i'll use my Bible-taught lesson that stealing is 'bad'.

 

[Bonnie]

These jurors had a duty to reach their decision based on the laws and constitution of Colorado. The bible had no business in the deliberation.

Every juror brings his or her own bias, agenda and beliefs with them into any court room. And I might suggest in most cases the bible teaches forgiveness, so before you condemn bible readers you may want to reconsider that. Im sure those jurors looked first and foremost at the evidence presented to them, the fact that they looked to the bible for a moral compass could only have served to make them more thoughtful about the decisions they were making.

 

[dilloduck]

They had the duty to reach their decision based on THEIR views about how the case was presented; the facts in the case. Personal perceptions are formed from a variety of sources. Put me on a Jury about somebody stealing, and i'll use my Bible-taught lesson that stealing is 'bad'.

If the law is going to use MY mind to make a decision their gonna get it just like it is----but they don't WANT Christians making decisions now--do they?

 

[dmp]

If the law is going to use MY mind to make a decision their gonna get it just like it is----but they don't WANT Christians making decisions now--do they?

bingo.

 

[Annie]

I wonder if saying you are Christian or Jewish will be the new way of getting out of jury duty?

 

[Bonnie]

I wonder if saying you are Christian or Jewish will be the new way of getting out of jury duty?

That's a scary and true point there Kathianne :shocked:

 

[Bonnie]

If the law is going to use MY mind to make a decision their gonna get it just like it is----but they don't WANT Christians making decisions now--do they?

What's next, Christian encampments, or maybe even Plumb Island????

 

[dilloduck]

I wonder if saying you are Christian or Jewish will be the new way of getting out of jury duty?

It would appear that any old religion would do.

 

[MissileMan]

They had the duty to reach their decision based on THEIR views about how the case was presented; the facts in the case. Personal perceptions are formed from a variety of sources. Put me on a Jury about somebody stealing, and i'll use my Bible-taught lesson that stealing is 'bad'.

Juries are given very specific instructions on what information they are allowed to use to reach their decisions. They had all the information they needed to reach their decision without the bible. If not, then they had no business being on the jury.

 

[dilloduck]

Juries are given very specific instructions on what information they are allowed to use to reach their decisions. They had all the information they needed to reach their decision without the bible. If not, then they had no business being on the jury.

Thats the whole point ---keep Christians out of the legal system

 

[MissileMan]

Every juror brings his or her own bias, agenda and beliefs with them into any court room. And I might suggest in most cases the bible teaches forgiveness, so before you condemn bible readers you may want to reconsider that. Im sure those jurors looked first and foremost at the evidence presented to them, the fact that they looked to the bible for a moral compass could only have served to make them more thoughtful about the decisions they were making.

Their duty was to follow the law of Colorado, period.

 

[5stringJeff]

Their duty was to follow the law of Colorado, period.

And how does using religious beliefs to determine appropriate punishments go against following the law?

 

[Bonnie]

Juries are given very specific instructions on what information they are allowed to use to reach their decisions. They had all the information they needed to reach their decision without the bible. If not, then they had no business being on the jury.

If we take that statement to it's conclusion, then the only people who are eligable to serve on jurys are Pagans, and Athiests???