The Death Penalty

OK, this is not a subject usually found in forums of this nature, but hey, we are all entitled to fantasies about our exes once in a while........

I'm a Texan....What do you think?

I'm a Texan too......

That explains the two votes for Fry 'em.

I am 100% for it. Almost half my paycheck goes to the government, and that includes housing people who rape, murder, and torture.

I love how Texas is trying to get the law passed for less jail time for death row prisoners that were convicted for henious crimes! You guys need to breed more of those law makers and spread them to the rest of the country!

Well here in Alabama they will sentance you to death but it takes damn near 20 years before they throw the switch. Last one put down was damn near 70 years old and wasn't but in his late 40's when he went in if that tells you something. I say 2 appeals in 5 years and if you are still guilty set you ass in "Yellow Mama" as they call our electric chair.

Now in certain instances it is a tricky situation. About 2 years ago we fried this guy who had an iq of around 61. He was borderline retarded but they threw the switch on him anyway. I feel that people who have mental defects should be spared the death penalty as they most often can't even help in their own defence as they don't have a clue about court and what is happening to them. this guy knew what he did was wrong but the state failed to provide mental testing in the pre-trial phase to even see if he was competent to stand trial. So there should be exceptions to the general rule.

I have to disagree. When you take someone else's life you KNOW what you are doing. I don't care if you are depressed, bipolar, or borderline retarded. When you take someone's life, you not only ended theirs, but destroyed the lives of countless others.

There are set guidelines for a reason. If IQ of 60 and below is retarded, then 61 is NOT. If we are going to make rules we have to stick with them, or what the hell is the point in even making a rule?

Who cares if he didn't understand court proceedings as well as a person with an IQ of, say 75? His lawyer's JOB is to not only defend him, but explain it all to him.

If we keep letting people "slide" make exceptions for ever little thing, people will be able to "get away with murder." There has to be a line, and people need to grow the balls to stick with the lines that are drawn.

Ok Ok ok....

But I really hate to do this but I will. Do you think there has ever been one person put to death that was innocent? Look at the recent findings of people sentenced to prison who were in fact innocent after DNA evidence and testing methods caught up with their case. Eye witness testomony is the worst you can have. Any lawyer worth anything can make the witness second guess his or her testimony and raise a reasonable doubt in a jury. I am for it is the evidence presented is 100% and shows without a doubt the person on trial did in fact kill someone. But with so many variables to consider and the fact that someone can still be brought to trial and convected of something they did not do this is a very risky proposition. Plus recent numbers show that to house an inmate in Alabama it costs the state an average of 21k a year. A death penalty case costs an average of 60k to bring to trial and get a convection. So this isn't a cheap undertaking at all. Plus all it takes is one juror to keep the death penalty from being recomended. And in Alabama it is up to the judge to impose the sentance recomendation of the jury or impose his or her own, so even if the jury recomends the death penalty the judge can still under law sentence the person to anything the title allows which is life with parole or without.

That's a great point, but I trust the laws that are made. Look at how much goes into making the darn things! I feel that "justice" will eventually be found. I trust that the lawyers and investigators on boths sides of the case will do their damndest for their side. If we can't put our faith in the laws and the judicial system, what hope is there?

I watch Forensic Files, FBI Files, The System, Dayle Hinman, and Henry Lee almost nonstop. That's all I watch. I see how much goes into everything, and I also see how mistakes ARE made, people in the judicial systems DON'T do their jobs, and innocent people are convicted. But in the hundreds of thousands of convictions a year, if only 1 or 2 of those are false, I think that's a great statistic. There are several organizations that look into appeals independently free of charge to convicted prisoners. If there is a loophole or a mistake, these people will find it.

On the other side, look how many go free...

True but one or two a year is still one or two more than you should have. there is a case that comes to mind here in Alabama of a man who sat on death row for 14 years before the convection was overturned. He in fact did not kill the person who the state said he did and was infact innocent. That is 14 damn years he sat in in prison and death row at that. You can't just give those 14 years back no matter how much you try. Even worse he has the stigma of murderer attatched to his name even though he was innocent. Granted he is out of prison and still alive, but what kind of life is that? The write up I read about him stated he has to take medication for depression and has nightmares of prison pretty much every night. That isn't a good quality of life in my opinion. Plus who would hire someone who has a murder convection on their record?

I am a firm believer in innocent untill proven guilty. And with the forensic methods avaliable today there are ways to put the nail in the coffin and leave no doubt that if someone is guilty that they might be innocent. It is the older cases that worry me because these practices were not avaliable back then. But you all know no one sitting in prison is guilty. They were all if you listen to them say it framed. So this is a catch 22 do you believe them or not.