Inmates on death row

whitelion said:

Do you mean the licensee was the lifer x2?

If that's how I read it he would never have been granted a license or to have anything to do with a public house as deemed by a probation officer.

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JC Footy Genius said:

Agree with much of that but there is the assumption that all murderers have a conscience, which I doubt. I expect some of them enjoy the notoriety and life in prison. Length of 'life' sentences is also an issue plus there are very exceptional cases. I have little doubt that Bin Laden was executed which was entirely justifiable in my view.

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GOM said:

You assume a lifetime of having your actions on your conscience. What if they don't ? If you accidently killed someone you would, as would most inluding me, but I'm sure some who deliberately kill won't.

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Juan Albion said:

I have a friend who was asked to be a 44-year-old convict's witness at his execution in Texas. When he was executed on March 7th of this year, he had been on death row for 22 years after three years in regular jail. He went through the 'last days' ritual more than once in that time. When he was in his teens and a desperate drug addict, he was guilty of being hired to kill someone's wife. No doubt he did it. But after 25 years in prison, his execution didn't serve as a deterrent to anyone. He was a completely reformed character who by then had matured and was free of drugs. His death couldn't bring back his victim. No good came from his state-approved murder. Serving a full life sentence in a Texas prison would hardly have been a soft option.

Rest in peace, Rolando Ruiz.

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Kaiser_Soze said:

I'll start off then.

The death penalty should be abolished world wide. It's not a deterrent to crime. If we are focusing on the punishment aspect of criminal sentences, then psychologically the 24 hours prior to execution will be easier to deal with then a lifetime of having your actions on your conscience.

And where does it stop? We've already said death penalty for murder. Manslaughter as well? Illegal drugs can kill so that's drug dealers receiving the death penalty. Death by dangerous driving. Add that to the list as well. What about the developer that signed off the cladding at Grenfell? Corporate manslaughter. Lets add them to the list too. Ah, that corner shop owner that sells several litres of vodka to the bloke next door who dies from alcohol related illness. They can go too.

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Buzzer said:

I'm against the death penalty for two main reasons: It doesn't act as a deterrent and if taking a life is wrong then it's wrong also for the legal system to take a life.

My reasons for not supporting the death penalty are not out of any pity for the perpetrators of horrendous crimes but these

The evidence on it being a deterrent is unconvincing. I know that other economic and social factors apply but crime statistics of US states with the death penalty provide little support for it.

It brutalises and compromises the whole judicial process and those working in it. Lawyers and jurors will know that their actions and decisions could lead to an execution which may actually lead to the setting a higher bar when it comes to reasonable doubt. The process needs to be dispassionate and objective and I can't see how I could approach being a juror in this way if my decision could lead to a loss of life. Think also of those carrying out the execution which will never be completely clean and clinical; is that a job anyone should be doing in a civilised society?

We all know that access to better legal representation will make a substantial difference to outcomes which will mean that the poorer you are the more likely that you will die.

A final one is the obvious point that it is irreversible if further evidence comes to light.

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