Stanley "Tookie" Williams

[Geoff_M]

I consider myself a "reluctant" supporter of the death penalty, but I admit that the Williams appeal did give me pause. Without a doubt, he has attempted to clean up the mess that he played a big part in starting. But I do think the crimal case against him was tight enough to warrant conviction. Perhaps the deciding factor against commuting his sentence, in my eyes, is that even though he claims innocence I don't doubt for a minute that if that were true then he'd know who did it. But he has refused to "squeal" on his former gang members. For me, that works against any good deeds he has done since his conviction. Either you come clean, or you don't... you can't have it both ways.

 

[izzy]

I don't even know where to begin. I was on a jury two years ago where a Crips gang member killed someone. I was sickened beyond belief at the testimony I had to see and hear - pictures of the murder victim stabbed 13 times before being thrown in a pond, the bloody knife and clothes being shown to us. It was all I could do not to throw up in the jury box. I had absolutely no idea this type of gang activity was going on in what I thought was our peaceful, beautiful valley. The murderer was only 16 when he committed the murder. Killed an innocent 18 year old all in support of his Crips buddies.

This is Mr. Williams' legacy.

The Hollywood types have turned him into a celebrity, which I just cannot fathom. It's also beyond me why it's taken over 25 YEARS for this execution to take place.

Prayers being sent to the poster whose police officer husband has to go out in riot gear tonight to make sure this evil murderer's supporters don't get out of hand.

 

[Zmsksirt]

Pardon my sarcasm. I was actually referring to people here saying "fry him," those who seem to be getting warm fuzzies through vengeful comments.

How about saying instead, "Let's light him up." It goes along better with the holiday season. Don't you think so?

 

[eeyore kelly]

Prayers being sent to the poster whose police officer husband has to go out in riot gear tonight to make sure this evil murderer's supporters don't get out of hand.

I second that!!!

 

[amarberry]

It is a common myth that we get rid of the cost of a criminal by killing them but it is actually much more expensive to kill someone than it is to keep them alive. Life without parole is much cheaper on the taxpayer than sentenced to death.

The site below will show you just how much it costs with appeals, lawyers and court time to put someone to death.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=108&scid=7#From DPIC

That said, my belief that the death penalty is wrong is based on moral beliefs and not social ones. And trust me, I am no bleeding heart liberal, I'm in fact a pretty hard core consesrvative.

Again, I pray for the police officers who have the deal with the aftermath. I pray there are not riots.

This website: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/wrongfulconvictions/ can show you additional problems with the death penalty.

I am by no means an apologist for Tookie Williams, but I don't agree with the death penalty. It is an extremely flawed and prejudicial system (i.e.: those with greater "means" are less likely to be sentenced to death).

 

[transparant]

The only sympathy that I have is for the vitims and their families.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

This will be an unpopular opinion based on the responses so far, but from what I've read about Tookie Williams, he appears to have saved a few kids from choosing a life of crime or to stop their current life of crime. Putting him to death will not bring back his victims but perhaps keeping him locked away for the rest of his life and allowing him to continue with his newfound ways will prevent others from following his evil past.

I'd rather keep murderers locked away forever with no chance of parole than kill them.

Just my .02.

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

I was watching the coverage tonight and what really floored me was they had a guy being interviewed. I think he was a former inmate and he said there is a lot of sadness at the prison tonight b/c the inmates feel as if one of their own is going down. And that society has turned their backs on them.

Uh, didn't didn't Williams and the rest of the inmates turn their backs on society in the first place by committing the crime that landed them in prison? By not following society's laws and rules? Or did I misunderstand??

I hate it when celebs get involved the way they are with this case and spout off about things. They just have easy access to media so I guess they take that run with it. And the press focuses on them. Bugs me...

Anyway, in a different interview, I heard Williams was one of the meanest prisoners in there and that he has been in trouble in the past for fighting in prison. This person being interviewed sure didn't paint the rosy picture we're mostly hearing about-reformed gang banger. This person's account portrayed Williams as less than stellar-quite violent, mean and trouble.

 

[DONALD38]

Hey DUKESTREETKING, I bet you would be singing a different tune if this idiot killed a family member of yours or someone close.

This jerk should of been planted a long time ago, are judicial system needs to be more swift with people on death row.

 

[#1MMFan]

I'd agree with DUKESTREETKING on this. Yeah, in a moment of rage you would feel like taking revenge on the person who did something to your family. I don't think it is fair to presume that we'd sing a different tune if it happened to our family. You don't know that for sure. Just recently, the mother of a black boy killed in a racist attack by 2 young men in London (he got an ice axe in his head) went on TV following the guilty verdicts and said she had forgiven the murderers. They have received hefty sentences. Do you think she wants them dead? I do agree if you are going to execute people then it should be done quicker. It's not fair to the family of the condemned either, the condemned, or the victim's family who are having the whole process dragged out. It also isn't fair to the tax payer who then pays for the condemned's stay in jail and then the execution years later. Make sense? I also wonder what pleasure people get from watching executions.

 

[inaminute]

Just recently, the mother of a black boy killed in a racist attack by 2 young men in London (he got an ice axe in his head) went on TV following the guilty verdicts and said she had forgiven the murderers. They have received hefty sentences. Do you think she wants them dead?

She is a much better person than I.

I can guarantee you that if my child were killed in this situation, I'd not only want the murderers dead--I'd want to be the one to make it happen.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

This will be an unpopular opinion based on the responses so far, but from what I've read about Tookie Williams, he appears to have saved a few kids from choosing a life of crime or to stop their current life of crime.

The same person who founded the crips?? Yeah, he's a real gem. A good role model our children should look up to.

 

[charlie,nj]

I didn’t read all of the posts..

This is what kills me..they want this guy to not pay for his crimes because he is now writing children’s books about the evils of gang life. They say those books have may have stopped a few kids from going bad.

I didn’t hear anything about how many thousands of kids ARE in gangs or dead because of the gang “tookie” created years ago. How many kids have died or are in jail because of him starting the crips? Let alone the countless innocent victims of the crips.

 

[kydisneyfans]

How many are dead due to the crips gang? This guy should have been gone lone ago-why waste my tax dollars feeding and guarding trash like this?

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Hey DUKESTREETKING, I bet you would be singing a different tune if this idiot killed a family member of yours or someone close.

Don't put too much money on that bet.

 

[Nancy]

The same person who founded the crips?? Yeah, he's a real gem. A good role model our children should look up to.

Oh yeah I want a murderer as a role model for my children!

So he wrote a few books and maybe saved a few kids from entering gangs...big whoop! What about all those that have been in gangs since way back when thanks to him and all the crimes they have committed and continue to commit?

I know, now that he has been executed let's see if we can get sainthood for him, because he is now such a good person.

 

[Miranda Danda]

What really peeves me is that he wouldn't apologize for the murders. That is ridiculous.

Also, I hate seeing all these uninformed "celebrities" abusing their power and speaking out on something they do not know a whole lot about. I saw two women get on TV and say that it's a "race thing" because Charles Manson was pardoned. How ignorant. The death penalty was abolished while Manson was on death row and so EVERYONE'S sentence was commuted to life and when the death penalty was re-instated, those sentences were not changed!!!! Those women acted like Manson went in front of a panel and they specifically pardoned him from death. Give me a break. It just shows the ignorance of his supporters.

It's not fair that his victims didn't get to say goodbye to their families. It's sad their lives were taken so swiftly for NO REASON. Tookie deserved what he got.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Does the fact that he claims he is innocent (and has since day 1) and his story has never changed (even though his heart apparently has) mean anything?

Does the fact that after 26 years none of his lawyers or the large group of supporters ever uncovered a single bit of evidence that supported or even remotely alleged his innocence? Given all the appeals and hearings and reviews by state, district, and circuit courts, no judge, including the liberal lefties in the 9th Circuit, found any reason to stop, much less overturn his conviction and sentence.

Either these people were not working too hard to prove his innocence or he was quite guilty of the crimes for which he was convicted.

 

[Miranda Danda]

Does the fact that after 26 years none of his lawyers or the large group of supporters ever uncovered a single bit of evidence that supported or even remotely alleged his innocence? Given all the appeals and hearings and reviews by state, district, and circuit courts, no judge, including the liberal lefties in the 9th Circuit, found any reason to stop, much less overturn his conviction and sentence.

Either these people were not working too hard to prove his innocence or he was quite guilty of the crimes for which he was convicted.

VERY true.

 

[missypie]

I think that a lot of these guys live a lot longer on death row than they would have ever lived n the streets. What is the life expectancy of young gang members anyway?