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Its not perfect but its plenty good enough... People protest against the death penalty and use "perfect system" are really desperate if that's all they can come up with... albeit the death penalty is really "vengeance" against certain and specific crimes... I like it... sometimes I wish we could institute what the Chinese do... sell drugs? kill someone? Take them out the next day and a bullet to the head... and then bill their family for the bullet... its almost poetic...
Even if the family WANTED the death penalty... I doubt the anti-death penalty people would settle for that... they just use rhetoric... give them an inch, they'll ask for a mile...
Done correctly I believe you have your numbers backwards. In TX we give them due process of appeals then get it done.
In CA, they go to death row (by the people) and linger for the next 30 years.
Never understood why CA doesn't do what the people want & the law allows.
Actually my information about costs regarding the death penalty is not opinion. Here's a link. Studies are conducted regularly regarding costs to execute people in the U.S.........the entire country, state by state. I guess it could have changed since I last looked at the data, but I think maybe not. After looking at this site, then if you have further doubts you can go to the Department of Corrections web sites for each state which has the death penalty and compare the cost to house an inmate "for life" versus the cost to execute one person.
Yes, you do execute a lot of people in Texas. I believe your state is at the top of the list in terms of the number of executions.
prisoners are a waste to our country. they do nothin to help it. I say we should have more deaths. Whats the point in feeding and letting these people watch tvs, live in nice beds, and live off my money. If they do a horrible crime then a eye for a eye.
Well, your view of how we should treat criminals in this country is just not consistent with our laws. Presumption of Innocence. Have you ever heard of that?
The killers who didn't know their state had the death penalty are ignorant as hell. Ignorance is no excuse to murder.
Most states don't have (or don't use) the death penalty. All the non death penalty state are corrupt and evil..they are on the side of the killer. Texas is one of the few states that has compassion for crime victims.
Sorry, but data shows that states which do NOT have the death penalty have fewer murders.
Its not perfect but its plenty good enough... People protest against the death penalty and use "perfect system" are really desperate if that's all they can come up with... albeit the death penalty is really "vengeance" against certain and specific crimes... I like it... sometimes I wish we could institute what the Chinese do... sell drugs? kill someone? Take them out the next day and a bullet to the head... and then bill their family for the bullet... its almost poetic...
Even if the family WANTED the death penalty... I doubt the anti-death penalty people would settle for that... they just use rhetoric... give them an inch, they'll ask for a mile...
Look, the prosecutors always consult with the family of the victim regarding whether or not they want the death penalty! In fact, some families do not want the death penalty, and that fact is given consideration by the Judges.
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT EXECUTING AN INNOCENT PERSON who has been wrongly convicted? Would YOU like to be that innocent person who was wrongly convicted? EVERYBODY KNOWS that in fact in our justice system we have indeed convicted innocent people of murder and those people have been sent to death rows.
The United States had 37 executions in 2008. That was the fifth highest number of confirmed executions of all Nation-states in the world for that year.
The US does NOT have a functional death penalty. We have a system where people get sentenced to death, but the execution of that sentence is usually delayed in almost endless appeals and what can often become a waste of taxpayer money as everything but the kitchen sink in the way of legal tricks is tried.
With DNA evidence and new technologies available, it is quite possible to concretely and conclusively establish guilt in many cases. When that is the case, then appeals should be limited and unless a serious legal challenge to the process can be sustained, the execution of sentence should be swift. A target of less than 5 years should be the norm, with as short a wait as 1 to 2 years possible for the cut and dry cases where DNA or overwhelming evidence is present.
If the courtroom shooter here in Atlanta (Brian Nichols) had gotten the penalty he deserved, there would have been no doubt of his guilt (he was photographed, captured on video, and many eyewitnesses watched him commit the acts). Someone like that deserves a fair legal process and then a swift execution. There is no doubt; no mistaken identity; no racist cops framing him; and no reason to wait 15 years for justice.
Austin, I appreciate your good argument. When you put a face to a 9 yo girl who was raped & butchered, the guy was caught, confessed & convicted - he deserved to die & not be alive any more.
Anytime I question my belief in the DP, I recall my friends little girl.
The US does NOT have a functional death penalty. We have a system where people get sentenced to death, but the execution of that sentence is usually delayed in almost endless appeals and what can often become a waste of taxpayer money as everything but the kitchen sink in the way of legal tricks is tried.
With DNA evidence and new technologies available, it is quite possible to concretely and conclusively establish guilt in many cases. When that is the case, then appeals should be limited and unless a serious legal challenge to the process can be sustained, the execution of sentence should be swift. A target of less than 5 years should be the norm, with as short a wait as 1 to 2 years possible for the cut and dry cases where DNA or overwhelming evidence is present.
If the courtroom shooter here in Atlanta (Brian Nichols) had gotten the penalty he deserved, there would have been no doubt of his guilt (he was photographed, captured on video, and many eyewitnesses watched him commit the acts). Someone like that deserves a fair legal process and then a swift execution. There is no doubt; no mistaken identity; no racist cops framing him; and no reason to wait 15 years for justice.
What kinds of changes to death penalty law would be required to accomplish what you suggest.......execution within 5 years? Are you suggesting that the right to appeals be different for each case? How about direct appeals in any cases? Judicial error? Are you saying that perhaps the direct appeal should be eliminated in certain cases? Exactly how would that work specifically?
Austin, I appreciate your good argument. When you put a face to a 9 yo girl who was raped & butchered, the guy was caught, confessed & convicted - he deserved to die & not be alive any more.
Anytime I question my belief in the DP, I recall my friends little girl.
I certainly cannot argue with you about that case. All murders are horrendous tradgies as far as I am concerned, but especially little children.
Because there is a huge difference between the murderer and his victim(s). The victim was innocent and was violated to the fullest by having their life taken away. The murderer is an evil subhuman who deserves to die.
Is there a huge difference? I believe all life is equal. One is not worth more than the other. The taking of a life is wrong. Period. It is not okay for a society to "justify" the taking of an offender's life simply because they took a life themselves. This is the same mentality that justifies war. A civilized and just society should be above the level of the criminals.
No human is "evil". Evil does not exist. It is a made up concept to justify our vengence. We all are capable of doing terrible things. Anyone can take a life. It is probably quite easy. The challenge is to rise above our "human-ness" and preserve the lives of even the lowest denominators of our society.
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