Do you think your state should have the death penalty?

[QuantumPion]

If you support the death penalty, you are a worthless person.

Probably still worth more than an unborn baby in your view, anyway. :\

 

[Mursilis]

I thought it was the judge that did the sentencing, not the jury? Or does the jury have a say in sentencing when the death penalty is involved? I don't know.

Most criminal code is state-specific.

 

[Mursilis]

If you support the death penalty, you are a worthless person.

Thank you for contributing absolutely nothing useful to the discussion.

 

[shortylickens]

I have absolutely no moral issue with killing someone to get them out of society. But I also acknowledge the death penalty seems to do fuck-all as a deterrent.

Thats why I believe in supporting the 2nd Amendment. Because taking gun rights away from Americans has never caused crime to drop.
The whole "correlation does not equal causation" argument is most strongly exemplified in the gun argument and capital punishment. You need to work on the underlying causes of crime to actually beat it. Employment and education are much bigger factors than access to guns or fear of punishment.

 

[CitizenKain]

Thank you for contributing absolutely nothing useful to the discussion.

You can't use complexity for pro-DP people.

 

[ichy]

Most criminal code is state-specific.

SCOTUS has said that DP defendants have the right to be sentenced by a jury which weighs aggravating and mitigating factors. This was supposed to make the DP less arbitrary, although in real life it has had the exact opposite effect.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

I vote no because studies suggest that death penalty is actually more expensive than life in jail.

we just have to make it less expensive then.
throw all the murderers into a cage with blunt weapons inside and let them at each other.
heck, charge admission to watch and we could even make some money off of it.

 

[ShawnD1]

we just have to make it less expensive then.
throw all the murderers into a cage with blunt weapons inside and let them at each other.
heck, charge admission to watch and we could even make some money off of it.

Seems needlessly cruel. If you're going to kill someone, it should be quick and easy.

 

[QuantumPion]

SCOTUS has said that DP defendants have the right to be sentenced by a jury which weighs aggravating and mitigating factors. This was supposed to make the DP less arbitrary, although in real life it has had the exact opposite effect.

Seems like the best way would be to require both an unanimous jury and the judge to vote for DP if it is warranted.

 

[ichy]

Seems like the best way would be to require both an unanimous jury and the judge to vote for DP if it is warranted.

No, because then some lucky defendants will get off because they had one juror who held out.

A more sensible way to do it would be to limit the DP to certain types of murder that are either exceptional heinous or dangerous to society (prison inmates who kill, criminals who murder witnesses, serial killers, killers who rape or torture their victims) but make the DP mandatory for that narrow range of crimes. Unfortunately that would require Woodson v. North Carolina to be overturned.

 

[Jiggz]

Seems needlessly cruel. If you're going to kill someone, it should be quick and easy.

Exactly and with no media attention or coverage. Only a couple of witnesses and nothing more!

 

[ShawnD1]

Exactly and with no media attention or coverage. Only a couple of witnesses and nothing more!

I didn't say not to broadcast it on live TV. I'm just saying make it quick and painless

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Seems needlessly cruel. If you're going to kill someone, it should be quick and easy.

it's for the lolz.

 

[HAL9000]

I'm completely against the death penalty. Also abortion. But I have no state.

 

[irishScott]

For the most extreme cases yes. Locking some people up does nothing but waste money on wastes of life.

 

[Freshgeardude]

Innocent people have been executed and will continue to be executed. You don't have a problem with that?

You must be one of those mushy headed religious people who thinks that there is such a thing as a second chance at life after death.

im an atheist.


its a problem that innocent people have been executed, yes.


The appeal process needs to be fixed to avoid this problem. Im no lawyer or an expert, but im sure people can come up with a system to have a better record.


*edit: i think one one count of murder, should be life in prison, but multiple counts is death penatly. obvious lack of caring for life if someone commits that many murders. also it would be pretty hard for an innocent man to be convicted on multiple counts of murder. unless you are dexter ofcourse and can pin it all on someone else

no government is perfect, ours is far from it, but that doesnt mean i want a murderer sucking up my tax dollars

 

[alkemyst]

Unfortunately most of the time when an innocent is in this it's due to malicious hearted people either purposely passing blame or wanting to believe the wrongfully accused did it.

Many areas are revamping their 'police lineup' methods as in the past they have been geared to point at the guy they think did it.

It's sad, but in the end you can't not have penalties because someone loses the lottery of life.

By all means give them 5 years or so and quick trials...but to have it go 30-40 years of appeals is just too long.

DNA and biological evidence now are making it a lot harder for the wrong dude to face this.

 

[Wordplay]

Rapist like this guy needs to be sent to the chair.

 

[PrinceofWands]

If you support the death penalty, you are a worthless person.

No, the following is the story of a worthless person (copied from my original posting of it):

Most of us have seen it...on tv or in a movie. A young kid on the verge of puberty riding along on his bike when suddenly the clouds part and a ray of sunshine falls upon the form of a girl emerging from her new home. The boy, who has never noticed such things before, is suddenly awestruck by her beauty and stares - utterly transfixed...right up until he plows into a tree in her front yard and goes flying head over ass into the ground. The thing is, it wasn't a movie or a tv show. Not for me. I have the dubious honor of having actually ridden into a tree the day I first noticed man's bane - the girl.

It was 1983, and I was 11 years old. Her name was Charla Wheat and she had just moved into the house two doors down from me. The house had been recently vacated by the family of my friend Tina, and I was still somewhat upset about the move. I think that's why I looked over in the first place...just chasing some old ghosts. But whatever made me look over, my life would never be the same again.

I wasn't popular (or attractive) as a kid, so I think that slowed my social development. Before Charla I had never really had the need to meet new people. But as I lay there in the grass, bleeding from various points of sudden flora impact, the only thing I could ponder was how I was going to get up the nerve to talk to this girl. Charla took care of that for me and suddenly I was looking up into the face of angel, asking me if I was ok. I'll save you the suspense, she was never interested in me that way; but we did become very good friends. Six years later Charla moved away so her father could take over a new ministry in Texas. You know, I never have forgiven that house for sending away all the women in my life.

In 1991, just a year and-a-half after moving, Charla was stabbed to death. There was a knock on the door of her apartment...she opened it and found Billy Ray Nelson, a neighbor. Nelson gained entrance to Wheat's apartment by asking if he could use her phone. Once inside, he cut the telephone cord to prevent her from calling for help and then proceeded to stab her. He then found Wheat's roommate, Carol Maynard, who was five months pregnant at the time, and forced her to get out of bed and enter the living room, where Wheat was on her knees bleeding from her stab wounds. Nelson told the women to remove their clothing and threatened to kill them if they refused. He then forced the women to perform sexual acts on him and each other. Thereafter, he stabbed Maynard in the neck and proceeded to strike Wheat. Nelson left briefly but Wheat began screaming and he returned. While Maynard pretended to be dead, Nelson struck and stabbed Wheat until she died. He then left the women's apartment. That was the day my compassion for criminals died too.

I found out about it after the man had been arrested. That's quite probably the only reason he's still alive. He has no idea how lucky he is, because I would make absolutely certain that he was a very long time in dying. What pisses me off about it most is that his appeals case has become central to the capital punishment debate, especially with regards to Texas law. So instead of remembering Charla when his name is brought up, people will remember him and how he is to praise and thank for his part in getting people 'justice'. Last I checked his death sentence had been commuted by a ruling of the court. I don't know...maybe some day some slick lawyer will find a way to get him released on a bleeding heart technicality...hahahahhaha, bleeding heart...the irony. Well, should that day come I will rejoice. On that day Billy Ray Nelson will begin the long journey into death.

I still have the picture Charla gave me in my wallet. It's right on top of her obituary from our local paper. I miss you Charla.

Evil people should all be killed. If no one else has the stomach for what has to be done, just step aside and let me do it.

 

[irishScott]

Rapist like this guy needs to be sent to the chair.

But, they hurt and kill people. Obviously if we kill people too, we're just like them. Target selection doesn't matter at all.

 

[Zebo]

Yes. You kill someone your life should be forfeit and life in prison just victimizes society twice. Course evidence should be overwhelming not just motive, means and opportunity many are convicted on.

 

[piasabird]

Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth, Life for a life.

If you cant pay with your life dont take the life of another.

In obvious cases where sufficient evidence exists like several eye witnesses or video of a person committing a murder, or killing people robbing a store, the criminal needs to be put to death immediately.

Some people are so evil, they dont deserve to be alive on the earth.

 

[Jiggz]

I didn't say not to broadcast it on live TV. I'm just saying make it quick and painless

I understand, but this is one of the very reasons death penalty is found to be despicable when it turns to a "Side show" instead of swift justice! Public execution is nothing but a side show which should not be practiced. If you want serious no side shows execution, Singapore is one good example including canning!

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I used to be very pro-death penalty but after reading of cases that showed almost certain executions of innocents, I'm not sure. There are obviously some cases where a person can be undeniably found guilty, but I'm not sure that the courts could filter between them with 100% accuracy. Still, I'm entirely in support of home owners shooting anything as minor as home burglars or car jackers, even if it's in the back. They're worthless human beings and deserve no better.

One exception: federal politicians found guilty of using their official powers to commit felonies, violent or not, should be publicly executed.