Capital Punishment For Murderers

[David Sklansky]

I believe that the issue can be decided without emotions or high falootin philosophy or religion. Assuming we are talking about cold blooded murders, committed by "sane" defendents, I see the following four things as objective reasons to be for or against the punishment, as opposed to life without parole.

1. Will it dissuade others from committing murder?

2. Is there more than a micro chance that the life sentence will allow an eventual release or escape?

3. Does it cost more to keep him alive?

4. Is there more than a micro chance that the defendent is innocent?

There may be other factors that deserve consideration that I haven't thought of but I doubt it.

[leaponthis]

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There may be other factors that deserve consideration that I haven't thought of but I doubt it.

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How about human fallability?

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Assuming we are talking about cold blooded murders

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How do you determine a cold blooded murderer? Oh, you have a math formula for that. I see. No possibility of mistakes in your court, huh?

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committed by "sane" defendents

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Judged to be sane by who? lol

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Does it cost more to keep him alive?


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What a wonderful reason for making a life and death decision.

Ahmmm.

leaponthis

[jogsxyz]

5. This murderer will not commit another murder.

We know 1. doesn't work.

2. and 3. are good reasons for capital punishment.

4. Only DNA evidence is acceptable for proof in capital punishment cases.

[fasteddy1970]

1) Surveys and statistics have shown that it does not discourage people from killing.

2)In most states, no one sentenced to death has ever been released unless they were proven innocent.

3)In the more expensive states the trial and appeal process (usually 13 to 20 years) costs between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 sometimes a bit more.

Keeping him alive cost around $35,000 per year (again I'm talking in the more expensive states on the two coasts) and that price is going up every year.

Keeping him alive from average age of commitment (25) to average age of death of (75) ends up at around the same price as trial, appeal and execution if you count inflation and the huge increases in medical costs associtated with older prisoners.

[LandonM]

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1) Surveys and statistics have shown that it does not discourage people from killing.

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I wonder what survey that is... Is it a survey of murderers, or a survey of people who are planning to murder??

To ask what preventive impact Capital Punishment has is asking one to prove a negative. Of course, such is the nature of preventive "anything".

[mikechops]

5) Will the death sentence make the victim's family feel better.

6) Is there a chance the murder will kill again whilst in prison? People don't place a lot of value on other convicts lives but they do have rights. So do prison gaurds come to think of it.

[fasteddy1970]

In states where the death penalty has been rinstituted after years of being banned, the murder rate has not dropped even slightly. Not just when the dp was brought back but even after the executions started.

[fasteddy1970]

5) Yes, most families feel better.

6) Yes there is chance but believe it or not, it happens rarely.

[fasteddy1970]

"4. Only DNA evidence is acceptable for proof in capital punishment cases."

Not true. The standard of evidence is identical to any non death penalty murder case.

[chezlaw]

5. guilty as charged but later its decided that what they were guilty of shouldn't have been a crime (or such a serious crime).

chez