DEATH ROW--death penalty in America

[Duchess]

It never fails to aggravate me whenever I see consideration being given to convicted murders. 

[HairOfTheDog]

Washington State Abolishes Death Penalty

Washington's Supreme Court struck down the state's death penalty today, ruling that it had been used in an arbitrary and racially discriminatory manner. 

Washington has had a moratorium on executions since 2014, but the ruling makes it the 20^th state to do away with capital punishment.

The court unanimously converted the sentences of the eight people on death row to life in prison, though the justices differed mildly in their reasoning.

"The use of the death penalty is unequally applied - sometimes by where the crime took place, or the county of residence, or the available budgetary resources at any given point in time, or the race of the defendant," Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst wrote in the lead opinion.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/washington-...ry-unfair/

[HairOfTheDog]

California

I took a tour of Alcatraz this weekend and they had a special program about recently murdered gangster Whitey Bulger.  I didn't get to watch it, but our guide talked about Bulger's time at The Rock.  The guide was a veteran and had also worked as a guard at San Quentin, so he shared a little about that famous prison as well.  Really interesting.

Anyway, on a related note, these two death row multiple murderers reportedly committed suicide on San Quentin's death row in the last couple of days, saving the tax payers some money.  At this point, officials don't believe the two deaths are related.



Corrections officials said they found Andrew Urdiales, 54 (left), unresponsive during a security check at San Quentin State Prison late Friday. He was sentenced to death on Oct. 5 by an Orange County judge for killing five women in California, and previously faced the death penalty for three murders in Illinois.

Separately, authorities say they found Virendra Govin, 51 (right), unresponsive alone in his cell in a different death row housing unit late Sunday. Govin was sentenced in December 2004 for committing four Los Angeles County murders.

All male prisoners in California on condemned status are housed at San Quentin in maximum-security custody level units. But California has not executed anyone since 2006 and inmates are far more likely to die from suicide or old age.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/andrew-urdi...death-row/

[Maggot]

What a perfect place to test out assisted suicide.

[HairOfTheDog]

Death Penalty Updates

13 federal death-row inmates have been executed in the U.S. since July, making President Donald Trump the most prolific executioner since Grover Cleveland in the 1880s.

There had been no federal executions carried out in the U.S. in the previous 17 years.

In order to rush the executions through quickly, Trump's administration hired private executioners and paid them in cash.  They also purchased death-cocktail drugs directly from pharmacies.

On the state level, there are now 25 states that allow death as legal punishment, 22 which prohibit it by law (with New Hampshire and Colorado being the latest), and 3 which prohibit it by Gubernatorial Moratoria.  The country is evenly split.  



Globally, death sentences have been declining steadily in recent years.  Death penalty: How many countries still have it? - BBC News

US President-elect Joe Biden has signaled that he will not authorize federal executions during his term.

Refs:

State by State | Death Penalty Information Center

[url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9153975/Dustin-Higgs-heads-death-chamber-13^th-final-federal-execution-Trumps-term.html]Dustin Higgs heads to the death chamber in the 13^th and final federal execution of Trump's term | Daily Mail Online[/url]

[Duchess]

Hired private executioners & paid cash. Hired private executioners! WTF!

[BigMark]

Green cash?

[HairOfTheDog]

Hired private executioners & paid cash. Hired private executioners! WTF!

The Daily Mail link is broken, but the article references court documents obtained by ProPublica.

More here:  Inside Trump and Barr’s Last-Minute Killing Spree — ProPublica

[Duchess]

I'm not opposed to the death penalty in many cases, but I don't think our government should be hiring private executioners. It seems kinda 3^rd world. Hi, I'm applying for the executioner job. Here's my references. Da hell. 

[MirahM]

Is there an assumption that Trump enjoys it?

[Carsman]

heinous

Death Penalty Updates

13 federal death-row inmates have been executed in the U.S. since July, making President Donald Trump the most prolific executioner since Grover Cleveland in the 1880s.

There had been no federal executions carried out in the U.S. in the previous 17 years.

In order to rush the executions through quickly, Trump's administration hired private executioners and paid them in cash.  They also purchased death-cocktail drugs directly from pharmacies.

On the state level, there are now 25 states that allow death as legal punishment, 22 which prohibit it by law (with New Hampshire and Colorado being the latest), and 3 which prohibit it by Gubernatorial Moratoria.  The country is evenly split.  



Globally, death sentences have been declining steadily in recent years.  Death penalty: How many countries still have it? - BBC News

US President-elect Joe Biden has signaled that he will not authorize federal executions during his term.

Refs:

State by State | Death Penalty Information Center

[url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9153975/Dustin-Higgs-heads-death-chamber-13^th-final-federal-execution-Trumps-term.html]Dustin Higgs heads to the death chamber in the 13^th and final federal execution of Trump's term | Daily Mail Online[/url]

That is too broad of a brush stroke statement!!  There are extreme heinous crimes where it must be required!
No fear of severe punishment for heinous crimes is certainly not a deterrent to committing them!

[cannongal]

heinous

That is too broad of a brush stroke statement!!  There are extreme heinous crimes where it must be required!
No fear of severe punishment for heinous crimes is certainly not a deterrent to committing them!

The only execution that the Democrats want to see is Trump's head on a silver platter.    Of course,  there are some Democrats who believe people should be in jail for not wearing a mask,   but then again,  those are the very same Democrats who let the petty thieves and victimless criminals out of jail,  so they wouldn't catch covid.

[Duchess]

Is there an assumption that Trump enjoys it?

I think there seems to be. I feel like it's already been established that he's a sadist.

[Duchess]

I don't disagree with Cars statement, but I think that those who commit the kind of crimes he refers to simply don't give a shit about the consequences. When you're committing atrocities you're past the point of caring what may come next.

[cannongal]

I don't disagree with Cars statement, but I think that those who commit the kind of crimes he refers to simply don't give a shit about the consequences. When you're committing atrocities you're past the point of caring what may come next.

Tis true.  But I will say this,    every single fucking time that there is a mass shooting,    certain politicians try and introduce 20 to 30 new gun laws.     Hate to tell you,  but public schools have been 'gun free'  for years and years.    The idiots who bring a gun into a gun free zone, don't fucking give a shit about the consequences.     If you could please convince your fellow dems to stop fucking with the gun laws,   that'd be great,  thanks!

[Duchess]

I think I'm the only Dem in my circle of friends. I'm surrounded by republicans, they are friends and family.

[HairOfTheDog]

Death Penalty Updates

13 federal death-row inmates have been executed in the U.S. since July, making President Donald Trump the most prolific executioner since Grover Cleveland in the 1880s.

There had been no federal executions carried out in the U.S. in the previous 17 years.

In order to rush the executions through quickly, Trump's administration hired private executioners and paid them in cash.  They also purchased death-cocktail drugs directly from pharmacies.

On the state level, there are now 25 states that allow death as legal punishment, 22 which prohibit it by law (with New Hampshire and Colorado being the latest), and 3 which prohibit it by Gubernatorial Moratoria.  The country is evenly split.  



Globally, death sentences have been declining steadily in recent years.  Death penalty: How many countries still have it? - BBC News

US President-elect Joe Biden has signaled that he will not authorize federal executions during his term.

Refs:

State by State | Death Penalty Information Center

[url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9153975/Dustin-Higgs-heads-death-chamber-13^th-final-federal-execution-Trumps-term.html]Dustin Higgs heads to the death chamber in the 13^th and final federal execution of Trump's term | Daily Mail Online[/url]

That is too broad of a brush stroke statement!!  There are extreme heinous crimes where it must be required!
No fear of severe punishment for heinous crimes is certainly not a deterrent to committing them!

I hear you Cars.

But, a whole lotta people disagree that murdering someone as legal/governmental punishment, even for heinous crimes, is appropriate.

No federal death-row inmates were executed in the second part of the W. Bush Administration nor the entire Obama Administration either. 
 
As is the case with many other issues, our country is split when it comes to the death penalty.

Personally, I don't believe the death penalty is a deterrent for those who would commit the kind of crimes which would merit the death penalty in the first place.

However, I do believe that the threat of death as penalty aids prosecutors in securing vital information and verifiable confessions to obtain convictions once the crime has already been committed.

[Maggot]

It would be if it was broadcast-ed. Think of the money one commercial break could generate! Maybe fit a Clydesdale and a Dog in someplace. Then people would want to be put to death. The victims could be compensated and we could watch someone flop around in pain because the intravenous syringes didn't hit a vein. It would add more drama and suspense to the nighttime shows and may even create competition. 

All the cool cooks on television could do last meals or something.

[Clang McFly]

It would be if it was broadcast-ed. Think of the money one commercial break could generate! Maybe fit a Clydesdale and a Dog in someplace. Then people would want to be put to death. The victims could be compensated and we could watch someone flop around in pain because the intravenous syringes didn't hit a vein. It would add more drama and suspense to the nighttime shows and may even create competition. 

All the cool cooks on television could do last meals or something.

[MirahM]

Alabama-
Kenneth Smith-attempted execution last year, it failed. It wasn't the only one. Looks like they will attempt again on Nov 17 possibly with nitrogen.