Oken be dead!!

“They had a special news report awhile ago and said Oken had been executed by lethal injection at 9 something pm. Good riddance says I!!”

“They had a special news report awhile ago and said Oken had been executed by lethal injection at 9 something pm. Good riddance says I!!”

“They had a special news report awhile ago and said Oken had been executed by lethal injection at 9 something pm. Good riddance says I!!”

“?”

“Argh”

“I think if they sped up the process we'd see a drop in the murder rate. Took 17 years for that guy, on my dime (and anyone else living in MD). Speed things up and we would save lots of $ and many people would think twice before they let rage take over.”

“Yeah, because this guy was so thoughtful and aware of the consequences of his actions that if only he had believed that he might be executed a little quicker, he would have stifled those murderous urges.

I'm amazed that anyone actually still believes the death penalty is an effective deterrent.”

“They killed him 3 times?”

“He was a big Rasputin fan.”

“I'll sure sleep better at work now.”

“For lots of these guys, I think the expression "Killin's too good fer 'em" applies.

Send them to Abu Ghraib and let the freelance interrogators work on them for 30 or 40 years. Of course, if it turns out they were innocent (DNA, lying informant, etc) and you have to let them go at some point, they'll be lots more dangerous....”

“Speaking of horrible killers, how did this dude get off with assault?”

“Everyone thought the victim was only sleeping?”

“Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison

Sometime it is better to go for a lesser charge that is easier to prove, than to press a murder charge and be unable to "prove beyond a reasonable doubt" and have the perp walk free.

Prosecution does need to press for Consecutive rather than Concurrent sentences more often.

Realize that "Life" often means the person is up for Parole and release after about 5 years.

If Life actually meant life there would be a lot less people in favor of the death penalty.”

“He's just an Excitable Boy.”

“Correction:

"Life" means that most states have standard ranges of punishment.

In TN for example, a Standard Range I offender only has to serve 30% of his sentence to be elibible for parol.

Now, the Dept. of Correction, in an effort to "rehabilitate" inmates, will implement a program to give them incentive to complete educational programs. So, they regularly give up to 12 to 14 days for 7 credit. (i.e. serve 7 days, get 14 days credit).


Now, take a 10 year sentence, under the guidelines, which probably is restricted to concurrent with like charges. At 30% of 120 months, you start with 36 months. Then at, lets say 12 for 7 credit (almost a giveme if you don't raise hell in the big house), you are down to 1 year, 9 mos. to be eligible for parol.

You can flatten the time in less than 5 years.”

“The death penalty is not a deterrent, it is a punishment.

Aren't most murders crimes of passion? Most folks don't have the presence of mind to fully examine the ramfications of their actions when the blood is pounding in their ears.”

“Speeding it up too much would mean a lot of inocent folks gettin' the juice. There are a lot of cases that get overturned on dna evidence that was not available. If one incent convict is wrongly put to death the whole system is a failure.

BTW- I'm pro death penalty. It says so right my conservative handbook between the sections on fundemental christianity and the section on "Abortion stops a beating heart".”

“I agree with HPM that the death penalty is not a deterrent but a punishment.

My opinion is that a government should never have the right to execute its citizens - whatever their crimes. Besides, a long life without freedom is a greater punishment - for once I agree with Manuka. Life should mean life.”

“I work in law enforcement. Some people cannot be helped. No amount of time in prison is going to straighten them out or make them "feel" guilty. These people are born to kill. They are animals and need to be put to sleep.”

“I place a higher value on human beings than that, I guess. I also don't believe that any system of law is going to be correct in finding the guilty 100% of the time, and the execution of the innocent is worse than the subsidized life-long imprisonment of the guilty.”

“This guy (Oken) didn't kill as a crime of passion. He killed 3 people over several weeks. Maybe the first murder was a passion kill and I'll give you that maybe that shouldn't receive the death sentence, but the others were killed very intentionally, so fry him. And of course what do you do with all the people that kill out of passion? Imprison them for 60 years at $75,000 per year?”

“I say anyone who kills another person.... Lock them up and throw away the key. Period.

Passion killers, vehicular homocide, skateboard accidents, whatever.”

“I look at it this way. Enough of these people who commit these crimes don't give a rat's ass about dying, so consequences is not going to stop them from murdering. Look at the terrorist mentality. These people would actually rather die as "martyrs" than rot in a jail cell. Take the case of Timothy McVeigh, our home grown terrorist and one of the most heinous criminals in American history. This guy even said it. He wanted to die. It's almost like the government did him a favor by killing him. Alife sentence without parole would seem like MORE of a punishment to some of these SOB's. Combine that with what's been said about innocent people going to their deaths, and this raises a good point about not advocating capital punishment. I can't be sure, but I'd be willing to guestimate that the # of innocents that may have been put down through history could be greater than we imagine and is only now being realized due to the advent of DNA testing and advanced forensics...”

“I agree, Treebeard. TechnTrek, wouldn't you agree that the cost of keeping murderers off the street is exactly why we pay taxes in the first place?”

“When discussing the death penalty numbers do not work for me.

Number of innocent people executed gets outweighed by the number of subsequent victims from repeat offenders. The executed at least have a jury to determine guilt or innocence, the victims have no check and balances.

$75,000 per year to keep people incarcerated. Well spent money if it prevents anyone in my family from getting hurt or killed. Like a lot of things I am sure this can be done cheaper if this is the only problem facing life in prison.
I think the Reagan deficits were well spent money as it removed the threat of total nuclear war with the USSR.

My support for death is for two reasons.
1) I think it is cruel and inhumane to keep someone caged for the rest of their life because we are afraid to ever let them go. If my dog had rabies or became savage and uncontrollable I would not consider keeping it caged forever. An injection is much more humane. Why should I treat a dog better than a human?

2) If a person is so dangerous they cannot ever be released, there is always the possibility of escape. The person has no incentive to abstain from any action that may possibly get them out making them even more dangerous. The good behavior time off is given just to make it safer for prison staff, and for less aggressive inmates. True life will make for desperate people who should never be loosed on the public. Very few prisons have proven to be infailable, and this fails the innocent victims of escapees.”

“Number of innocent people executed gets outweighed by the number of subsequent victims from repeat offenders. The executed at least have a jury to determine guilt or innocence, the victims have no check and balances.

I can't decide if that's just plain sick or just plain stupid.

How does killing and innocent person stop a repeat offender from killing again?”

“See, manuka, I would give the inmates the option of suicide...

Okay, I'm being facetious, but the idea that the government decides life or death for its citizens gives me the creeps. It smacks of totalitarianism, and I can't see making the decision that the government's execution of some innocents will lead to the survival of more innocents at the hands of madmen overall.”

“"I look at it this way. Enough of these people who commit these crimes don't give a rat's ass about dying, so consequences is not going to stop them from murdering."

Ding ding ding! We HAVE winna! Look at the average office shooter who sprays down his (why is it always a guy?) coworkers and then kills himself. There's little difference between this type and the other except they don't have the balls to kill themselves.

Bottom line; some people go nuts. It's been this way from the begining and it always will be the case.”