One-year-old baby beaten to death in Wilkes-Barre

[XL600R]

Originally Posted by The Commish

I disagree- to an extent.

No matter how shocking the crime, for me there are too many problems with the administration of the death penalty to justify its continued imperfect existence. Innocent people are executed, the death penalty is given more frequently to murderers of white victims than to murderers of black victims, the punishment itself is cruel given the problems with lethal injection, and other problems make it unconscionable to use.

I will grant that in a perfect world without any of these problems, a crime like this is probably most suitable for the death penalty. Here, the victim is completely defenseless, so the aggravating factors scale is tipped heavily against the defendant. There really is no greater power imbalance than this situation. It just shocks the conscience. In a perfect world, the defendant in this case deserves the death penalty.

The big problem is our justice system. Our system gives too much latitude to those criminals that are found guilty of heinous crimes and how that latitude delays the process. I'm not saying that the person found guilty should be taken out and shot on the courthouse step, like what is done in totalitarian states. Rather, the appeal process should be limited and the decision final, this way the penalty is swift and final. With DNA and other greatly advanced forensic technology, it is harder to wrongly convict an individual than it was even 10 years ago. As far as the ratio of people executed (black vs. white), look at the crime stats maintained by the FBI. You will find that the ratio of crimes VS. #'s represented in population figures is disproportionate. No one has control over that. I don't know what the current stat is, but it is surprising what number of males commit crimes compared to the population figuresof any particular race.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by XL600R

The big problem is our justice system. Our system gives too much latitude to those criminals that are found guilty of heinous crimes and how that latitude delays the process. I'm not saying that the person found guilty should be taken out and shot on the courthouse step, like what is done in totalitarian states. Rather, the appeal process should be limited and the decision final, this way the penalty is swift and final. With DNA and other greatly advanced forensic technology, it is harder to wrongly convict an individual than it was even 10 years ago. As far as the ratio of people executed (black vs. white), look at the crime stats maintained by the FBI. You will find that the ratio of crimes VS. #'s represented in population figures is disproportionate. No one has control over that. I don't know what the current stat is, but it is surprising what number of males commit crimes compared to the population figuresof any particular race.

Actually, even taking that into account the percentage of blacks executed versus whites is still higher. Not the number, the percentage.

[livetolive]

Really, I would have thought that the DP would be a deterent. But I still think it should exist. I think it's not right that someone gets to live after they kill someone purposely. Killers are heartless and sick individuals.

[W-B proud]

I think the best idea would be to let the family of the victim decide that fate of the murderer, but I can see why that wouldn't work.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

Actually, even taking that into account the percentage of blacks executed versus whites is still higher. Not the number, the percentage.

Then you'd also need to take into account the percentage of crimes committed by blacks and whites in states that have the death penalty vs states that do not use the death penalty or rarely use it.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Then you'd also need to take into account the percentage of crimes committed by blacks and whites in states that have the death penalty vs states that do not use the death penalty or rarely use it.

I'm sorry that I wasn't clear enough. I was typing too fast. That is what I meant. Taking in all factors, the percentage of blacks convicted and sentenced and executed is higher than whites.

I should add that the only reason I know this is because of a paper I did for sociology last semester.