It seems the people of California aren't very conflicted about the death penalty. CNN reports today that the jury in the Yacht Killings Case has decided to recommend the Death Penalty.
Skylar Deleon, 29, sat motionless as the jury announced its decision following nearly two days of deliberation in Orange County Superior Court.
"He was disappointed," Deleon's attorney Gary Pohlson said afterward. "He was very hopeful he wouldn't get the death penalty."
This was the case, you may remember, in which the defense attorney made an unusual attempt to avoid the death penalty by admitting his client did the crime and then by presenting the mitigating circumstances of his abusive childhood.
I suppose it was a good gamble; the evidence was probably overwhelming. But it makes you wonder, is there no mercy for those who show no mercy? Is that the rule? A damaged individual, one whom I'd call mentally ill, shows no mercy, so the State, which purports to be healthy and just, shows no mercy in return. That's a sick vicious cycle. In my opinion, capital punishment should be abolished if we want to call ourselves a healthy and just society.
What's your opinion? Is the new president-elect for or against capital punishment? Was that one of those hot potatoes they avoided during the campaign?
I would say showing mercy to those who show none creates a much more viscous cycle. Example, just read the arrest records of convicted murders in any major US city. You'll find MUCH more often than not they were on parole or given an early release for another violent time.
ReplyDeleteReward for this Mercy? Murder of an innocent.
Albert Einstein once described the definition of Insanity as: "Doing the same thing and expecting a different result."
Mike,
ReplyDeleteWhat does it say that the residents of one of the most liberal states in America still support the death penalty?
I'll go a little farther then Weer'd and ask if the Justice system doesn't share in the responsibility for those additional crimes. A great example of this is the murder of Jennifer Hudson's relatives in Chicago.
Documents show that a suspect in the Chicago murders of three members of Jennifer Hudson's family was arrested for drug possession in June, but state officials didn't revoke his parole.