Botched execution likely painful, doctors say

[Heidict]

And a good thing too.

There needs to be a better system though, after all look at some of idiots we have sitting on the bench now.

How about the child molester that the judge didn't send to jail because he was to short? Or the women, down south I think, that was found guilty for sleeping with her young student? She didn't go to jail because the judge thought she was to pretty.

Or how about the ones that give murderers a few months or years if we are lucky but someone gets busted smoking some weed and they are thrown behind bars for 10 years? Judges need to have some accountability in their sentencing. It's ridiculous some of the things they can get away with.

 

[Laura]

We were talking about Biblical times. Things were different then and God appointed the judges. It has nothing to do with our laws these days and I wasn't suggesting that it did.

Judges are appointed for many reasons nowadays and I'm sure that the reasons don't have God in the equation.

Whew! Had me going for a second, since you were mixing your statements about the Bible with anti-ACLU mallarkey.

 

[chobie]

There needs to be a better system though, after all look at some of idiots we have sitting on the bench now.

How about the child molester that the judge didn't send to jail because he was to short? Or the women, down south I think, that was found guilty for sleeping with her young student? She didn't go to jail because the judge thought she was to pretty.

Or how about the ones that give murderers a few months or years if we are lucky but someone gets busted smoking some weed and they are thrown behind bars for 10 years? Judges need to have some accountability in their sentencing. It's ridiculous some of the things they can get away with.

Just wanted to point out that when it comes to things like drugs, there is mandatory sentencing. The judges are not responsible for that. But, I agree with you that it is ridiculous to put someone in prison for ten years for pot.

 

[Chicago526]

For those saying they don't want to pay for criminals with life sentences, you DO realize that executing someone is more expensive then paying for them for life, right? If money is your issue, we should abolish the death penalty right now, we'd save a fortune! And I never understood people's problem with life in prison. It's not like they got a way with it, they ARE being punished and they are locked away where they can't hurt anyone else, other than other inmates. Watch some of those documentaries about life in prison sometime, it's no picnic.

Anyway, I have no problem with the death penalty in and of itself (although I wouldn't cry if it were abolished, either). Certain crimes, I'm sorry, but you lost your right to live. That said, I do think that the court system for capital cases needs to be overhauled though. No more public defenders who just passed the bar two seconds ago or some poor burned out schlep that's just counting down to the day he can collect his state pension. No more slopy detective work or bad evidence, or "eye witness" testamony from some half blind bystander. I live in IL and HALF our death row inmates were found to be inocent a few years back (thank God for DNA testing). These men were all convicted and sentenced for death for a crime they did not do, only later DNA testing proved they couldn't have done it.

Again, I'm all for the death penalty but if we are going to have it, we have to do it right!

As for the the guy who took 30 minutes to die by lethal injection...I don't know what to think about that. I think it needs to be review and we need to figure out why it happend, and determine how to prevent it from happening again. But assuming the guy was guilty, well, I don't feel all that bad about it, either.

 

[Heidict]

But assuming the guy was guilty, well, I don't feel all that bad about it, either.

But that is the thing. The actual shooter confessed, the witnesses recanted their testimony. There was no physical evidence, no forensic evidence. Just an ex girlfriend, who later recanted and still the apealate court says no new trial.

Looks like he may have been yet another innocent person that was put to death for a crime that he didn't commit.

 

[Heidict]

Just wanted to point out that when it comes to things like drugs, there is mandatory sentencing. The judges are not responsible for that. But, I agree with you that it is ridiculous to put someone in prison for ten years for pot.

They vary from state to state but the judges do have some of leaway. Sometimes though you get an idiot judge.

I can understand if it's possesion with intent. That is another ball game, especially if we are dealing with something like herion, crack, meth etc. Weed to me is the lesser of all of them. But that debate is for another thread.

 

[Chicago526]

But that is the thing. The actual shooter confessed, the witnesses recanted their testimony. There was no physical evidence, no forensic evidence. Just an ex girlfriend, who later recanted and still the apealate court says no new trial.

Looks like he may have been yet another innocent person that was put to death for a crime that he didn't commit.

Didn't know that, I'd only read about the botched execution, not the case itself. Like I said in my post, if we're going to have the death penalty, we have to do it right, no more convictions on half-assed evidence. If we can't do that, then we as a society will just have to learn to live with life in prison.

 

[tink1978]

I had read that it is more costly to execute a prisoner than it is to keep them locked up for a life term.

Which is more of a punishment; death or a lifetime in a cell? Whether that death takes 34 minutes or 34 seconds what's the difference? I personally think rotting in prison for decades with no chance of parole is a much more severe punishment. The death penalty is a release from punishment. How odd that we are so willing to administer drugs to end a life of crime yet will not extend that privilage to those of us who wish to end their own suffering from terminal illness. And that's Eega's 2 cents.

The death penalty is not a release from punishment if one believes in heaven or hell....because burning for all eternity seems like a pretty significant punishment to me.

 

[Charade]

Or are you in favor of cutting short the appeals process, and executing someone who's innocent just for the sake of expediency?

The case we're talking about took 27 years. Is that long enough?

 

[#1MMFan]

The death penalty is not a release from punishment if one believes in heaven or hell....because burning for all eternity seems like a pretty significant punishment to me.

Yes, but if you believe in Heaven and Hell then presumably you would believe in some higher power i.e. God, and of course it is up to God Himself who is welcomed into Heaven, and just because a person murders someone does not mean he will go to Hell. I don't remember that being on the Ten Commandment tablets as a little asterisked footnote. (I know that's a little facetious but you know what I mean!!).

 

[Charade]

The death penalty is another feel-good tool for people/politicians to delude themselves into believing they're really doing something meaningful.

Well, it does prevent that person from ever hurting anyone again. Works for me.

 

[dcentity2000]

Well, it does prevent that person from ever hurting anyone again. Works for me.

So does life imprisonment. Cheaper, too. And of course, they'd end up dead either which way - through imprisonment the subject just has to wait for it.



Rich::

 

[Charade]

So does life imprisonment. Cheaper, too. And of course, they'd end up dead either which way - through imprisonment the subject just has to wait for it.



Rich::

Not really unless they are in complete isolation.

 

[dcentity2000]

Not really unless they are in complete isolation.

Ideally, solitary isolation would be in excess of the required regime - you need to pick a spot where life is no delight but not terrible to the point of torture - remember, we're not the monsters.

How do you feel about the current system of incarceration? I think it could use quite an overhaul.



Rich::

 

[LuvDuke]

Well, it does prevent that person from ever hurting anyone again. Works for me.

You don't need the death penalty to keep people from hurting anyone else. Life without parole accomplishes the same thing although it isn't as satisfying. Which brings us back to the "feel good" factor.

 

[Heidict]

Didn't know that, I'd only read about the botched execution, not the case itself. Like I said in my post, if we're going to have the death penalty, we have to do it right, no more convictions on half-assed evidence. If we can't do that, then we as a society will just have to learn to live with life in prison.

I'm the same way you are. The justice system, while one of the best in the world, is not perfect. I have a hard time putting people to death when there is a possibility that they may be innocent.