TAW122
Emissary of the right to die.
- Aug 30, 2018
- 6,648
I may be late on the news, but in the last month or so, an high profile mass murderer was sentenced to life in prison instead of the death penalty.
www.npr.org
Disclaimer: This thread is not to make light of the victims of the tragedy as their families and loved ones suffered over their losses and their suffering is valid too. This is a tragic event nevertheless and this thread is simply showing why even in states where there is the death penalty on the books is no guarantee of receiving it.
For people who may wonder about the death penalty, this case is yet another example of where death by the state is not only unreliable, but very inefficient and not guaranteed. This is because for one to actually get the death penalty (executed by the state), there are many factors and circumstances involved. First off, the perpetrator (aka 'perp') must be in a state or jurisdiction (federal) that has such laws on the books (in this example, the perpetrator is in Florida which has the death penalty on the books), then the perp must then be sentenced to death by the jury (in this example the perp isn't, but given life without the possiblity of parole) which, depending on the state either requires an unaminous decision (all jurors voting for) or majority. After the sentencing, the perp would start his/her prison sentence and could be many years (oftenly decades) before he/she finally gets the sweet release of death. During that interim, while sitting on death row, there are many appeals to go through and exhaust before one finally gets it. Also, up to the moment of execution, if there are any irregularities, it can even delay the procedure (such as equipment not working, paperwork not done correctly, other technical issues, etc.).
(On a different point but similarly)
Btw, IANAL but on a slightly different note, the reason that the one of the surviving Boston Bomber brothers got sentenced to death despite being in a state that does not have/abolished the death penalty is because his crimes also violated federal law, which means his trial is held in federal court as well. The death penalty is still on the books on the federal level, therefore, when he was tried in federal court and subsequently sentenced, he received the death penalty.
Anyways, back to the topic here. In summary, CTB'ing through the state is not only unreliable as it requires factors outside of one's control, will be a long and drawn out process that takes years (assuming that one meets the eligibility criteria to be put to death), and only after such a long time does one actually receive said death. Furthermore, it induces unnecessary suffering to the victims as well as their families and loved ones which is why it is heavily discouraged. There are better methods out there and this method itself is a truly desperate one and also not an guarantee.
At an emotional hearing, the Parkland shooter is formally sentenced to life in prison
After a jury recommended the sentence, the judge could not change it. But she did allow victims and families to speak directly to Nikolas Cruz for the first time to express their anger and grief.
www.npr.org
Disclaimer: This thread is not to make light of the victims of the tragedy as their families and loved ones suffered over their losses and their suffering is valid too. This is a tragic event nevertheless and this thread is simply showing why even in states where there is the death penalty on the books is no guarantee of receiving it.
For people who may wonder about the death penalty, this case is yet another example of where death by the state is not only unreliable, but very inefficient and not guaranteed. This is because for one to actually get the death penalty (executed by the state), there are many factors and circumstances involved. First off, the perpetrator (aka 'perp') must be in a state or jurisdiction (federal) that has such laws on the books (in this example, the perpetrator is in Florida which has the death penalty on the books), then the perp must then be sentenced to death by the jury (in this example the perp isn't, but given life without the possiblity of parole) which, depending on the state either requires an unaminous decision (all jurors voting for) or majority. After the sentencing, the perp would start his/her prison sentence and could be many years (oftenly decades) before he/she finally gets the sweet release of death. During that interim, while sitting on death row, there are many appeals to go through and exhaust before one finally gets it. Also, up to the moment of execution, if there are any irregularities, it can even delay the procedure (such as equipment not working, paperwork not done correctly, other technical issues, etc.).
(On a different point but similarly)
Btw, IANAL but on a slightly different note, the reason that the one of the surviving Boston Bomber brothers got sentenced to death despite being in a state that does not have/abolished the death penalty is because his crimes also violated federal law, which means his trial is held in federal court as well. The death penalty is still on the books on the federal level, therefore, when he was tried in federal court and subsequently sentenced, he received the death penalty.
Anyways, back to the topic here. In summary, CTB'ing through the state is not only unreliable as it requires factors outside of one's control, will be a long and drawn out process that takes years (assuming that one meets the eligibility criteria to be put to death), and only after such a long time does one actually receive said death. Furthermore, it induces unnecessary suffering to the victims as well as their families and loved ones which is why it is heavily discouraged. There are better methods out there and this method itself is a truly desperate one and also not an guarantee.
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