The Death Penalty
- Thread starter bennychico11
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Mierin
Donor
84HuskerLaw
New member
A few responses seem in order:
1. It does not cost more to execute someone as opposed to life in prison. The annual cost inmate of prisons in this country exceeds 100,000 each. The argument that all the appeals and legal costs, etc of the process etc through final execution which is often more than 10 years is not an honest one. People somehow assume that inmates who get long prison sentences (life, 50 years, 35 years, etc) don't file endless appeals and requests for new trials, etc etc. Almost any convicted person will atleast seriously consider an appeal and the right to counsel typically provides a 'free' counsel to make the process work. The death sentence is not any different and in some cases, convicts actually don't want to appeal and look forward to the execution as a relief from prison life and or life filled with remorse or simple hate, etc. Budget issues are NOT even material or relevant in my view as we are talking about matters of justice, deterence, punishment and societal protection.
2. Fairness in the sense of what is the appropriate level of incarceration or 'punishment' as a penalty for the offense comitted is certainly a matter of individuals personal opinions in many ways. Society, through its legislative representatives and duly appointed and acting judges and other penal system authorities, have attempted to pass judgement and established sentencing and other penal guidelines and terms for parole, probation, work release, etc, etc. and even pardons. The feeling of anger, outrage and need for revenge and a sense of punishment by the victim and those close thereto often leads to demands for rather harsh punishment, beyond that which the more disinterested third party civilian would deem 'fair'.
3. The criminal justice system in America is literally loaded with many layers of safeguards and limiting factors with the constant focus and justice and fairness in the treatment of each and every accused and even those found guilty. From the basic safeguards long before an arrest of limits on law enforcement in the apprehension, arrest, detension and many judicial hearings in front of impartial judges and juries of our peers, to multiple appeals, government provided attorneys, investigations, supeona power, etc etc.etc. Post conviction reviews, rehearings, appellate reviews, reconsideration by prosecutors, police and FBI, etc etc. While cases of miscarriage of justice do in fact occur, they are very very few and far between. The system is far from perfect but it is the most perfect of any around the entire planet.
4. Science and technology has helped in the areas of forensics and so on but mistakes do happen. The greater risk is the intentional miscarriage (frame ups by dirty cops or judges or etc) but these are likewise very rare.
5. I believe the best approach might be something as simple as the creation of a new, independent review board or committee or other body that would take a look at each and every 'capital case' and perhaps even those involving long, mandatory sentences which indicate the convict will likely never be released in his or her life expectancy. I also believe it is not unreasonable to give the convict the 'option' of asking for execution as opposed to multiple life sentences (true life withouot any release possible). Effectively it is a sort of suicide. I see no reason it is perfectly lawful for suicide by a non-felon civilian while we deny the same to prisoners. This would truly reduce costs of penal system if that is a virtue to be even considered.
1. It does not cost more to execute someone as opposed to life in prison. The annual cost inmate of prisons in this country exceeds 100,000 each. The argument that all the appeals and legal costs, etc of the process etc through final execution which is often more than 10 years is not an honest one. People somehow assume that inmates who get long prison sentences (life, 50 years, 35 years, etc) don't file endless appeals and requests for new trials, etc etc. Almost any convicted person will atleast seriously consider an appeal and the right to counsel typically provides a 'free' counsel to make the process work. The death sentence is not any different and in some cases, convicts actually don't want to appeal and look forward to the execution as a relief from prison life and or life filled with remorse or simple hate, etc. Budget issues are NOT even material or relevant in my view as we are talking about matters of justice, deterence, punishment and societal protection.
2. Fairness in the sense of what is the appropriate level of incarceration or 'punishment' as a penalty for the offense comitted is certainly a matter of individuals personal opinions in many ways. Society, through its legislative representatives and duly appointed and acting judges and other penal system authorities, have attempted to pass judgement and established sentencing and other penal guidelines and terms for parole, probation, work release, etc, etc. and even pardons. The feeling of anger, outrage and need for revenge and a sense of punishment by the victim and those close thereto often leads to demands for rather harsh punishment, beyond that which the more disinterested third party civilian would deem 'fair'.
3. The criminal justice system in America is literally loaded with many layers of safeguards and limiting factors with the constant focus and justice and fairness in the treatment of each and every accused and even those found guilty. From the basic safeguards long before an arrest of limits on law enforcement in the apprehension, arrest, detension and many judicial hearings in front of impartial judges and juries of our peers, to multiple appeals, government provided attorneys, investigations, supeona power, etc etc.etc. Post conviction reviews, rehearings, appellate reviews, reconsideration by prosecutors, police and FBI, etc etc. While cases of miscarriage of justice do in fact occur, they are very very few and far between. The system is far from perfect but it is the most perfect of any around the entire planet.
4. Science and technology has helped in the areas of forensics and so on but mistakes do happen. The greater risk is the intentional miscarriage (frame ups by dirty cops or judges or etc) but these are likewise very rare.
5. I believe the best approach might be something as simple as the creation of a new, independent review board or committee or other body that would take a look at each and every 'capital case' and perhaps even those involving long, mandatory sentences which indicate the convict will likely never be released in his or her life expectancy. I also believe it is not unreasonable to give the convict the 'option' of asking for execution as opposed to multiple life sentences (true life withouot any release possible). Effectively it is a sort of suicide. I see no reason it is perfectly lawful for suicide by a non-felon civilian while we deny the same to prisoners. This would truly reduce costs of penal system if that is a virtue to be even considered.
teachercd
Well-known member
Thanks
Better hope that God doesn't read post boards...cause there are been some mean posts!
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funhusker
Active member
Don't mean to derail a thread, but "assisted suicide" would need to be passed first. Many people would go birzerk (sp?) if a convicted murderer had a say in how/when they die and a 70 year old terminally ill person doesn't.
teachercd
Well-known member
Enhance
Administrator
That's a blanket statement proven wrong time and again, 84HuskerLaw.84HuskerLaw said:
In Kansas, they found the median death penalty case costs $1.26 million. Non-death penalty cases (counted through to the end of incarceration) had a median cost of $740,000. Investigation costs alone were found to be three times higher than that of non-death penalty cases.
A study commissioned in Nebraska in August found Nebraska taxpayers spend $1.5 million more on death penalty prosecution cases than life without parole prosecution.
California found that each death row prisoner costs taxpayers $90,000 more per year than an inmate in general pop.
Budget issues are incredibly material and relevant in the discussion.
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Mierin
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