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| As a general rule, the death penalty cost studies are worthless. Those that purport to compare life without parole costs to death penalty costs are, in most cases, comparing apples to kangaroos not apples to apples.
There is no reason that the death penalty, in general, should be more expensive than LWOP and, in many, if not most cases, the death penalty should be less expensive.
1) Virginia: How the death penalty will save money over life without parole (LWOP).
Virginia executes in 5-7 years. 65% of those sentenced to death have been executed. Only 15% of their death penalty cases are overturned. (Source Virginia AG)
With the high costs of long term imprisonment, such a system, as Virginia's, a true life sentence will be more expensive than such a death penalty protocol. All states could duplicate this protocol, with the major exception that you can't transfer Virginia jurisdiction judges to other states.
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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| Judge Fine is not truly backing off or rescinding his finding that the Texas death penalty statute is unconstitutional. It is a tactical withdrawal to cover his ass.
I suspect it won't matter what happens in the April 27th hearing. Judge Fine will repeat his original finding.
Judge Fine realized that he looked like a fool and/or an idiot because he was wrong on the facts and the law in his first two episodes. (1)
The judge, now, says ". . . he still wants more information on whether the state’s death penalty statute is unconstitutional because it allows for the possible execution of an innocent person." Thus, the hearing.
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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| The judge clarifies that his decision is " . . . limited only to the due process claim that 37071 has resulted in the execution of innocent people and/or has the potential to result in the execution of innocent persons". (1)
As such potential has existed since the beginning of executions, it is curious that the judge has made this ruling when (1) the probability of such an event occurring is now lower than at any other time in history, (2) the judge cannot point to a case whereby an innocent has been executed in the modern US death penalty era, post Gregg v Georgia, and (3) the judge can cite no precedent wherein perfection is required in the implementation of due process.
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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| "Recidivism among murderers does occasionally happen ... the only way to prevent all ... recidivism is to execute every convicted murderer - a policy no one seriously advocates ... Governments that respect ... justice and ... human dignity... do not use premeditated, violent homicide as an instrument of social policy"
-- American Civil Liberties Union
"Governor Huckabee "seemed genuinely surprised that he was held responsible for the criminal acts committed by those whose sentences he had commuted .... The notion ... seemed as foreign to him as the idea that he should refuse all leniency."
-- former Huckabee campaign official
AN ERSATZ ISSUE
Serious implications for the capital punishment struggle arise from the hypocrisy of those who demand absolute perfection for convicted murderers but expect, excuse and shrug off imperfections resulting in preventable brutalization of the law-abiding.
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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| I expect versions of this to spread to all states, that don't already have it. It has been a common position by pro death penalty folks, for years, that the anti death penalty folks will go after LWOP just as they do with the death penalty and that is exactly what has happened and has been happening for some time.
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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| These cases are a sample of cases that some anti death penalty folks present as innocents executed. Generally speaking, anti death penalty folks only show the defense side of the case or they present material, so ridiculous, not even the defense would offer it.
These reviews are offered as a balance to those anti death penalty presentations.
There are, at least, two sides to every debate. Avail yourself of reviewing, at least two contrasting positions, so you can make a, somewhat, informed decision.
It is arguable, if not definitive, that had the media been thorough, in the beginning, none of the cases would have become a cause celebre, sometimes lasting for decades.
1) Roger Keith Coleman
The classic Cause Celebre, anti death penalty case is put together like this: Imagine facts that evidence won't support, but make it appear real, anyway. Keep it going for years and years. (1)
Jim McCloskey spent 14 years championing Coleman's innocence. Create a case of an innocent executed and the media will come. And, boy, did they.
Here is McCloskey's assessment of the state's case against Coleman: "The (state's) case was built on innuendos and lies and ludicrous, insane theory that falls flat in the face of common sense." (2)
This is a classic quote of anti death penalty infamy: Mr. McCloskey, look in the mirror. Coleman's guilt was confirmed by DNA.
For some time, Coleman's defense team concentrated on the "real murderer", with whom they, later, had to make an out of court settlement
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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| Several issues are raised with regard to lethal injection.
Generally, they are:
1) The murderer experiencing pain during execution;
2) The ethics of medical professionals participating in executions; and
3) Proper training of execution personnel.
1) PAIN AND LETHAL INJECTION
The evidence, including the immediate autopsy of executed serial murderer/rapist Michael Ross, supports that there is no pain within the lethal injection process.
There is a concern that some inmates may be conscious, but paralyzed, during execution, because one of the three drugs used may have worn off, prior to death.
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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| The Inanity and Hypocrisy of Perfection
The premise is that irrefutably proving just one wrongful execution would justify, indeed require, abolition of capital punishment. For example, in finally deciding it was always unconstitutional, Justice Blackmun believed (n8) that courts "are unable to prevent human error from condemning the innocent." The New Mexico and New Jersey Governors signed death penalty repeals partly on the stated ground that it is not "100-percent ... perfect...never [] wrong ... foolproof."
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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| The Dallas Morning News (DMN) writes: " What counts most is the truth, no matter what the ultimate verdict.".
We can all hope.
The DMN, until recently, has been extremely biased in this case. This anti death penalty media bias, by many in the media, has been, overwhelming, throughout the US, over the past two months in the Willingham case, just as it has, over the last two decades, with most death penalty issues.
The truth has suffered, greatly.
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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| In the Willingham case, the Innocent Project Report (IPR), in their executive Summary, found the fire was not an incendiary fire. http://www.innocenceproject.org/docs/ArsonReviewReport.pdf
The IPR provided no evidence of that and no other source for the fire was established. Discounting their statement goes to their lack of proof/evidence for the claim, for which they have none.
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Posted by Homicide Survivors at
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