Death penalty in California ruled unconstitutional. (tax, cost of, authority)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Delightful thoughts. Very human. Commendable.

Now then, the essential point of this whole death penalty argument, at this stage, isn't whether we should kill nasty people or not - it's whether we have the ability to determine guilt unmistakably. And until we do - and our current system of laws and justice doesn't - we have no business "ripping the arms and legs off a person and then ripping off the head."

There is NO way ordinary, knuckle headed citizens, such as most you read on this very forum (*cough cough* ^^^ ahem), should be evaluating and analyzing and judging evidence in cases of petty theft, let alone for capital murder. Nor should cops, lawyers, and judges with career and political and financial gain at stake be allowed to build and prosecute the cases.

What kind of justice would you offer the vicitims and their families?

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

What kind of justice would you offer the vicitims and their families?

Before any talk of justice, there needs to be a strict, ethical, logical system of determining guilt / innocence. There is no such system anywhere on the planet now. Yet it is very possible.

I am not for or against the death penalty. I am absolutely for truth in justice. We don't have it.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Before any talk of justice, there needs to be a strict, ethical, logical system of determining guilt / innocence. There is no such system anywhere on the planet now. Yet it is very possible.

I am not for or against the death penalty. I am absolutely for truth in justice. We don't have it.

We are getting further and further away from seeking justice, and simply going for the "win". For the money, for the promotions, for the power. Not for justice. Big reason why we have a general distaste for lawyers.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

We are getting further and further away from seeking justice, and simply going for the "win". For the money, for the promotions, for the power. Not for justice. Big reason why we have a general distaste for lawyers.

The source of one of my earlier quotes re: our system of law is not about justice, but rather finality in disputes and assignment of guilt - is from an excellent lawyer

This same attorney enthusiastically agrees with my observations of the failures of our system of law. But, he admits the very failures of which I speak, amount to "job security" for him. He is the first to say, when asked by potential clients if he can win justice for them: "How much justice can you afford to buy?"

Now, he may sound like a typical legal mercenary, of the type we non-lawyers love to lampoon, but the guy is really a bit of a Don Quixote himself, and provides tons of pro-bono services to many persons and causes. He is just a realist, like myself. He says he can't beat or alter the system he has become educated and expert in. There is no option to operate outside the system.

The entire system is a farce.

[nslander]

Lot of spinning here. The death penalty is categorically wrong.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

The entire system is a farce.

Or, as Mr. Bumble said in Oliver Twist, "...the law is a ass—a idiot."

[Chowhound]

I found out it takes about 600 million dollars in cost to deal with each death penalty case.

I'd say get rid of it just on the cost basis alone.

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by Chowhound

I found out it takes about 600 million dollars in cost to deal with each death penalty case.

I'd say get rid of it just on the cost basis alone.

So you want to get rid of the appeal process all together because it is expensive?

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

So you want to get rid of the appeal process all together because it is expensive?

I say speed up the appeal process. It should not take more than a year to complete the process.

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

I say speed up the appeal process. It should not take more than a year to complete the process.

I agree, though a year is a little optimistic. I would say 5 years from first found guilty to execution is reasonable and attainable if we invest into our court system.