Death Penalty: Is Pendulum Swinging?
January 10th, 2007 by josh farleyCould we be nearing the abolishment of America’s use of the death penalty?
That, of course, is a hotly debated question.
Capital punishment in the United States is certainly on the decline. A recent Associated Press story by Robert Tanner reported that the “number of death sentences handed out in the United States dropped in 2006 to the lowest level since capital punishment was reinstated 30 years ago, reflecting what some experts say is a growing fear that the criminal justice system will make a tragic and irreversible mistake.”
What is your take on the issue?
But before you do that, here’s some more background.
In the U.S., 37 of 38 states use lethal injection as the means to
carry out the death penalty. But recent cases in Missouri,
California and Florida have seen the courts choose to re-examine
the issue of whether the form of execution is “cruel and unusual
punishment.” One of the last acts of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was to
suspend the death penalty and establish a commision to see if
injections were “constitutional,” according to an article in the
Economist.
Here in Washington, where the death penalty has been used off and on since 1854 when it was a terriotory, there are now seven individuals on death row, according to the department of corrections. An eighth was recently overturned by the state’s supreme court.
Kitsap County actually has the oldest case on death row, also according to the corrections department. Jonathan L. Gentry, convicted in 1991 of fatally bludgeoning 12-year-old Cassie Holden just outside Bremerton, was recently in court on another appeal to overturn his sentence. That outcome is pending.
Apart from federal issues, Washington state has its own quandry with the death penalty. Here it is, summed up by AP writer Gene Johnson:
King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng has not sought capital punishment in the past three years — ever since he famously agreed to a plea deal that spared the life of the Green River serial killer, Gary Ridgway, in exchange for help finding more remains of his victims. Many lawyers wonder if he will ever seek the death penalty again against lesser murderers.
Also according to Johnson, a state supreme court decision last year saw the high court vote 5-4 in keeping the death penalty law — thus the pendulum may be close to swinging toward banning it.
Where do you fall?
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January 10th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
I ‘fall’ on the side of the crime victims since they cannot speak for themselves.
Why should murderers and predators be allowed to stay alive when their victims are dead?
Forevermore grief and agony is the legacy to the victims family.
Part of ‘justice’ has to be that such murderers, predators, not ever be turned loose to harm another innocent person.
As long as they are kept alive in prison there is always the chance they might get out to destroy another family.
There is no problem putting down a rabid dog … the vet gives a shot, the dog is gone.
I do not understand the current wave of hesitation over putting a rabid person away permanently.
Our prisons are overcrowded, yet more and more we’re forced to pay support for convicted murderers. I do not want to support such people.
I vote to put them down, humanly, by injection.
January 10th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
I sometimes like the idea of revenge on the part of society. However, I do not know that death is the worst thing that can happen to someone. Maybe it is greater revenge for a person to live out a natural life, in prison, thinking of the terrible crimes that they have committed.
On the other hand, I am trying to nurture the part of me that believes that I am not entitled to vengeance. If I believe that it is wrong to kill people, and I do, then how can it be right for the state to kill someone? Or, do I need situational morals here?
It is a moral conflict that I can not solve for myself. Therefore, I can not disagree with anyone else about it.
January 11th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Somehow we have allowed capital punishment to become so costly to the state with appeals and such that our prosecutor’s find it more cost effective to go for life in prison. However, our prisons have turned into resorts for felons. Cable TV, fitness centers, libraries, etc. Get back to the time were a person went to PRISON to do “time” sat in their cell were allowed 1 hour to walk out in the community yard have three meals in the cafeteria and someone that was serving time for a lessor crime walk from cell to cell passing out books to read.
If a convicted murderer go to prison for life it should be for life no possibility for parole no pardon by some Governor or President leaving office trying to make a point.
January 15th, 2007 at 12:37 am
I support capital punishment, but not with the way we do it. I don’t see how it it is a deterrant if you hear about people gaining weight and getting out of the punishment for medical reasons, cruel and unusual punishment is now used by Judges who legislate instead of support the law . . . It also does appear if you’re poor you have a greater chance of receiving the death sentence …
We defintely need to make sure when some one commits murder, they receive a severe penalty of at least a life sentence.
Of course 40 years later they are not the same person, and possibly even redeemed themselves, but they still need to serve that sentence … For Justice for the victim, for all to see that when you take a life, you spend your life behind bars .. End of story. There is nothing more important for our Justice System to do than to protect innocent lives.
January 19th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
…”… It also does appear if you’re poor you have a greater chance of receiving the death sentence ….”
_________________________
Where did you find that information? Who did the study?
Sharon O’Hara
January 21st, 2007 at 12:19 am
In my own family We have had the unfortunate experience of murder. The killer was sentenced to death and was executed. The feeling of justice was so far from what we thought it would be in the beginning. There was a sadness that out-weighed any satisfaction. He also had a mother and children that felt the pain of death. By the time of execution we had forgiven for our own sanity and peace. Two wrongs did not make a right. And we still wonder. What if he was really not the right guy. Lesson learned nobody has the right to take another’s life ever.
January 25th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
I’m sorry, Elaine. The solace, to me, is that the executed person can never harm another person.
We are not looking at one life for another….’revenge’ doesn’t enter the picture. We are looking to protect the innocent –people that may well be harmed if the criminal is let out of prison.
Execution prevents such an occurrence.
How does this relate to ”
…It also does appear if you’re poor you have a greater chance of receiving the death sentence ….”?
I am sorry you and your family had to experience such a crime…but I am glad the convicted murderer won’t get loose to harm another person.
Sharon O’Hara