Why are Texans pro death penalty? (Austin, Orange: crimes, lawyer, live)

[getmeoutofhere]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Do you want your tax dollars spent keeping a prisoner up for the rest of his life who raped & murdered a little girl? I sure as hell don't.

It costs more to execute someone than to house them.

[TexasHorseLady]

Really? For how long? Can you cite some actual figures? And are you talking about actually executing them or the cost of appeal after appeal after appeal? And are you talking about housing them for 30 years and then executing them, or executing them within a reasonable period of time after conviction? (Remember, the cost of housing them for 30 years does not count as part of the cost of executing them, for these purposes.)

[orbius]

Its a disgrace there have been dozens of people murdered by the State in Texas for crimes they didnt commit. The discussion ends there for any civilized person, that is cause enough to do away with the death penalty. The Justice system is incorrect enough of the time that it simply is not a viable form of Justice.

If you honestly think a poor black man accused of murder with supposed eye witness testimony by a well thought of white person as the only evidence will get a fair trial in the State of Texas you're lying to yourself. This sort of verifiable prejudice in the Justice System is also another reason the death penalty should not exist.

[Pretzelogik]

Its the old eye for an eye tooth for a tooth....If someone murdered a loved one of mine, I'd want him or her gone from the planet.

[Heimdall]

Wild West mentality + Ignorance. If Texans took the time to calculate and compare the costs of death penalty versus life in prison they would see that it actually costs less to incarcerate someone for life rather than execute them.

Everyone in favor of death penalty always mentions some hypothetical "child killer" while forgetting about the execution of an innocent man based entirely on the fact that he listened to Iron Maiden so that means he's a Satanist.

[Heimdall]

Originally Posted by orbius

Its a disgrace there have been dozens of people murdered by the State in Texas for crimes they didnt commit.

I agree. This is pretty scary. Even though most of these peoples convictions were overturned, still, I imagine what they had to go through, being on a death row for crimes they didn't commit.

If you honestly think a poor black man accused of murder with supposed eye witness testimony by a well thought of white person as the only evidence will get a fair trial in the State of Texas you're lying to yourself.

Well... Just to be fair, here's the full racial breakdown on people executed in Texas since 1982 (http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/executedoffenders.htm - broken link):

Black - 168 (36.5%)
Hispanic - 77 (16.7%)
White - 213 (46.3%)
Other - 2 (0.4%)
Total - 460

[orbius]

Originally Posted by Heimdall

I agree. This is pretty scary. Even though most of these peoples convictions were overturned, still, I imagine what they had to go through, being on a death row for crimes they didn't commit.

Well... Just to be fair, here's the full racial breakdown on people executed in Texas since 1982 (http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/executedoffenders.htm - broken link):

Black - 168 (36.5%)
Hispanic - 77 (16.7%)
White - 213 (46.3%)
Other - 2 (0.4%)
Total - 460

Well blacks I would argue are at more of a disadvantage out of the gate in the Judicial system. But poor, uneducated whites are also thats for sure.
The fact is these people are guilty until proven innocent despite the law saying the opposite should be true.

[TexasReb]

First of all, well said Metro-Matt! And as to the OP's question, perhaps it is because most Texans believe in simple justice? That is, there are some crimes so heineous and brutal that those who commit them deserve the ultimate penalty.

Originally Posted by orbius

Its a disgrace there have been dozens of people murdered by the State in Texas for crimes they didnt commit. The discussion ends there for any civilized person, that is cause enough to do away with the death penalty. The Justice system is incorrect enough of the time that it simply is not a viable form of Justice.

Please name them, will you? And you know good and well murder is a term used to describe the unlawful (operative word here) taking of a human life. Capital punishment is the legal penalty for such under certain limited circumstances. In some ways akin to self-defense and fighting in a just war.

I would not deny that, over the years, there have undoubtably been innocent people executed. That is probably just a law of averages fact. And that bothers me like it would any other person. BUT...there are so many safeguards anymore that the chances are extremely remote. Also, what is the alternative? Life without parole? I could actually go along with that on some levels...but often those who oppose the death penalty are of a mindset that sees violent crimes as the result of societies faults and not as an individual act of evil and pleasure in taking advantage of and hurting and harming others. Thus, they are generally opposed to the concept of punishment at all.

If you honestly think a poor black man accused of murder with supposed eye witness testimony by a well thought of white person as the only evidence will get a fair trial in the State of Texas you're lying to yourself. This sort of verifiable prejudice in the Justice System is also another reason the death penalty should not exist.

What is this "verifiable predjudice" you are raving about? The "predjudice" seems to be on your part against Texans in general. Can you give a concrete example of this in recent memory?

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by orbius

Its a disgrace there have been dozens of people murdered by the State in Texas for crimes they didnt commit. The discussion ends there for any civilized person, that is cause enough to do away with the death penalty. The Justice system is incorrect enough of the time that it simply is not a viable form of Justice.

If you honestly think a poor black man accused of murder with supposed eye witness testimony by a well thought of white person as the only evidence will get a fair trial in the State of Texas you're lying to yourself. This sort of verifiable prejudice in the Justice System is also another reason the death penalty should not exist.

I used to be for the death penalty until I learned about this aspect of it. Executing even one innocent person is not acceptable. As long as they can never leave prison, what difference does it make if they are dead or not?

[Lakewooder]

OP your 'revenge' and 'wild-west' commentary seems a bit pejorative, no?