The United States is now the last industrialized democracy to have a functional death penalty (lawyers, accuse)

[Randomstudent]

Following the electoral success of the Democratic Party of Japan in recent elections for that country's legislature, the new Minister of Justice, an outspoken opponent of the death penalty, seems to be putting a effective moratorium on the death penalty in Japan. That means the US will be the last developed democracy to execute people.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6840248.ece

Personally I think Japan is moving in the right direction in considering abolishing the death penalty and making life in prison really mean life in prison, but I am interested in what other people think of this.

[StillwaterTownie]

I always figured being put to death as punishment was too good. Denying people freedom by confining them up to life in prison is real punishment to me.

[mackinac81]

Originally posted by stillwater townie
I always figured being put to death as punishment was too good. Denying people freedom by confining them up to life in prison is real punishment to me

Not a bad point there.

[Swingblade]

I am very much for the death penalty and as always the issue belongs in the states where it is closer to the people.Now I am a big fan of the show Forensic Files,and we have the technology to link the murderer to the crime with out a shadow of doubt.
Let me bore you with a example,on one show they had a tire print which does not prove enough to take to court.But while searching the suspects car trunk they found a leaf,they took that DNA from a leaf and matched it up to the DNA of the tree where the body was found.It was a match and that gave them concrete evidence along with the tire imprint,there is no doubt what so ever that had the right man.
Now some will point to a bunch of old cases to prove we could have put innocent people to death,but like everything else Forensic science has evolved.It is at the point where it is flawless and they are creating new techniques all the time.
Another point to consider is our country is broke and that is not just the federal but state level as well.Instead of housing these murderers with our tax dollars if their is enough forensic evidence they should be put to death.We need to look at reforming the appeals process so they are not sitting around for years.
The state of Ohio has 250 on death row costing us millions and millions that money could be put to better use instead of keeping some scum bag murdered alive.

[MovingForward]

I'm of two minds.

First, it depends on the crime. Heinous torture and abuse, as well as premeditated murder: I have no problem with the death penalty. I do have a problem with keeping people on Death Row for years on end, however.

Second, having said that, I feel immoral.

[Little-Acorn]

In the United States, if someone commits, say, multiple premeditated murder, he is tried over a period of months or even years, found guilty, and sentenced to death. He then spends the next 20-pluus years in relatively comfortable prisons at taxpayers' expense, watching color TV, reading books, eating and sleeping in warm, dry places, while retrial after retrial goes on, year after year. Lawyers paid for by the taxpayers prosecute him, while other lawyers also paidd for by the taxpayers defend him, Over and over it goes, and he might eventually be put to death... or, as often as not, he might die of old age in prison.

The United States does not have an effective Death Penalty.

Unfortunately.

[Randomstudent]

Originally Posted by Little-Acorn

In the United States, if someone commits, say, multiple premeditated murder, he is tried over a period of months or even years, found guilty, and sentenced to death. He then spends the next 20-pluus years in relatively comfortable prisons at taxpayers' expense, watching color TV, reading books, eating and sleeping in warm, dry places, while retrial after retrial goes on, year after year. Lawyers paid for by the taxpayers prosecute him, while other lawyers also paidd for by the taxpayers defend him, Over and over it goes, and he might eventually be put to death... or, as often as not, he might die of old age in prison.

The United States does not have an effective Death Penalty.

Unfortunately.

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 have a functioning death penalty.

[Austin13]

Originally Posted by reid_g

I am very much for the death penalty and as always the issue belongs in the states where it is closer to the people.Now I am a big fan of the show Forensic Files,and we have the technology to link the murderer to the crime with out a shadow of doubt.
Let me bore you with a example,on one show they had a tire print which does not prove enough to take to court.But while searching the suspects car trunk they found a leaf,they took that DNA from a leaf and matched it up to the DNA of the tree where the body was found.It was a match and that gave them concrete evidence along with the tire imprint,there is no doubt what so ever that had the right man.
Now some will point to a bunch of old cases to prove we could have put innocent people to death,but like everything else Forensic science has evolved.It is at the point where it is flawless and they are creating new techniques all the time.
Another point to consider is our country is broke and that is not just the federal but state level as well.Instead of housing these murderers with our tax dollars if their is enough forensic evidence they should be put to death.We need to look at reforming the appeals process so they are not sitting around for years.
The state of Ohio has 250 on death row costing us millions and millions that money could be put to better use instead of keeping some scum bag murdered alive.

reid, this quote is not exactly true: "we have the technology to link the murderer to the crime with out a shadow of doubt."

Even DNA is not 100%. All that "forensic" stuff you see on TV, well, we don't really have that kind of technology these days ......and, in fact, prosecutors COMPLAIN that jurors these days come to court expecting that kind of forensics "certainty" and because they can't produce it, the prosecutors say they are getting less convictions.

As for your people on death row, if you would just sentence them to LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE EVER, your state wouldn't be spending millions and millions of dollars on their cases. Life is prison is far, far cheaper than executing someone.

And, you know, that "appeals process," well, it is there for YOUR protection. Due process of the law and all that. You can't have different standards for different people in the same types of cases, so if you have DNA evidence in a case, you can't just throw out all appeals if you get a conviction. I can give you an example of DNA which could get an innocent person convicted. Say some guy went to a bar and met a woman. They hit it off. Drank together all night. Then went back to her apartment, had sex, and then the guy left her apartment. Say an hour or so later someone broke into her apartment and murdered her but did not sexually assault her. Well, then you will have the DNA of the guy from the bar at the crime scene, plus all the witnesses who saw him with her and saw them leave. And, suppose the guy was a typical single guy, living alone, so no one was at his apartment when he got home who could corroborate his story of having left the woman alive at her apartment and then going home. How do you think that would play out in a jury trial?

[migee]

I personally would have a difficult time as a jurist in a murder trial. I don't know if I would have the heart to actually say "OK, let's give them the death penalty".

But, on the other hand - If someone murders someone else that is a completely innocent victim, why shouldn't the killer get the same?

There are situations in which there are innocent people wrongfully convicted. That calls for absolute caution in all murder trials. Something has to be done about that, on a national level.

But, the argument that banning the death penalty completely to avoid this is unfair to the real victims of the real murderers.

And, there are plenty of real, vicious people that really have absolutely no value on this earth.

And the argument that they may have suffered some trauma in their lives, causing them to lose control, is just BS. This is an abused defense.

There are plenty of people that have suffered abuses much worse than many of these murderers, and they go on in life without harming others.

And, it's not an issue of how people are able to tolerate things. The murders we mostly see stem from some other crime being committed, and the act of the murder arises from the murderer eliminating the victim to get away with the other crime. That is, the murderer simply does not value the victim's life whatsoever.

I would agree with life imprisonment if it was just that - Put the murderer in a cell, feed them, and that's it. No medical attention, no exercise time, no visitors... nothing. Just a cell and food - The real basic neccessities.

Let's face it - We see the videos of some of these murderers in prison. The guards have to waste their valuable time and our tax dollars on them continuously, because they are just destructive, viscious, worthless people.

There is no value whatsoever to accomodate some of these people. Face reality.

They took someone else's life for no good reason whatsoever. They should be put to death as punishment, or if they are to be locked up, they should have absolutely no amenities whatsoever. They took everything from their victims - We should punish them accordingly, and take every little thing from them.

If they want to smear their own crap on the walls of their cells - Let them live in it. Just push some food through the door, and let nature take it's course.

That would be real justice on behalf of the victims.

The people that argue for the concern of valid justice - Yes, I agree that the DA's and the police should be held more accountable for the evidence they present. But, not to the point that they have to fear working towards justice for the victims.

And just as the prosecutors have to be held accountable for a fair trial for the accused, the defense and the accused should be held more accountable for a fair trial for the victim. The victims have as much rights to justice as the accused.

One thing that we should institute in this country is more severe punishment for people that knowingly withhold facts and evidence - And here I am talking about witnesses.

Just as many people are falsely accused, many are set free because witnesses do not cooperate with the investigations. This is greatly unfair to both accused and victim. And it is harmful to all of us.

[Delta Planter]

Cut and dried, I think the states should return to public hangings. The accused is tried by a jury of his peers, they determine from all the facts available at the moment, they say kill him/her, carry out the damned sentence. Giterdone.