are you for or against the Death Penalty?

Question

I just read about Richard Allen Davis, the man who killed the 12 year old Polly Klass in 1996. He is awaiting execution on California's Death Row. What infuriates me is the man is allowed to have a website requesting penpals http://www.ccadp.org/richarddavis.htm
and can watch tv, listen to the radio, and create artwork. If he is sentenced to death, why isn't he executed already? It's been 11 years, and Polly's family still has no justice?? Is it a death sentence or a nice vacation for the prisoners? I am for the death penalty, but I think execution ought to come swiftly after the sentencing.

by the way, the man is guilty, he confessed, has NO remorse for his crimes, and has had a life of crime throughout his whole life.

Answer 1

This crime was horrible and Davis should be locked up for the rest of his life. At the same time, people should find out about the practical facts about the death penalty system. Here are just a few of them, verifiable and sourced.

Re: Possibility of executing an innocent person and speed
Over 120 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence, many having already served over 2 decades on death row. If we speed up the process we are bound to execute an innocent person. Once someone is executed the case is closed. If we execute an innocent person the real criminal is still out there and will have successfully avoided being charged.

Re: DNA
DNA is available in less than 10% of murder cases. It’s not a guarantee that we won't execute an innocent person. It’s human nature to make mistakes.

Re: Deterrence
The death penalty isn’t a deterrent. Murder rates are actually higher in states with the death penalty than in states without it. Moreover, people who kill or commit other serious crimes do not think about the consequences or even that they will be caught (if they think at all.)

Re: cost
The death penalty costs far more than life in prison. The huge extra costs start to mount up even before the trial. Much of these result from the unusually complicated nature of both the pre trial investigation and of the trials (involving 2 separate stages, mandated by the Supreme Court) in death penalty cases. There are more cost effective ways to prevent and control crime.

Re: Alternatives
48 states have life without parole on the books. It means what it says, is swift and sure and is rarely appealed. Being locked in a tiny cell for 23 hours a day, forever, is certainly no picnic. Life without parole incapacitates a killer (keeps him from re-offending) and costs considerably less than the death penalty.

Re: Who gets the death penalty
The death penalty isn’t reserved for the “worst of the worst,” but rather for defendants with the worst lawyers. When is the last time a wealthy person was sentenced to death, let alone executed??

Re: Victims families
The death penalty is very hard on victims’ families. They must relive their ordeal in the courts and the media. Life without parole is sure, swift and rarely appealed. Some victims families who support the death penalty in principal prefer life without parole because of how the death penalty affects families like theirs.

Opposing the death penalty doesn’t mean you condone brutal crimes or excuse people who commit them. According to a Gallup Poll, in 2006, 47% of all Americans prefer capital punishment while 48% prefer life without parole.

Answer 2

If our justice system was perfect, I might be for the death penalty. Unfortunately it's not. It also costs way more to put someone to death than it does to give them life in prison. There are fates worse than death too, like life in prison. If this convict was given life as a child molester, the other prisoners probably would have off'd him by now anyway. He would not be isolated in death row like he is now. If a state carries out the death sentence against someone who is wrongfully convicted, the state becomes guilty of murder. I don't think this guy was wrongfully convicted based on the short blurb I read about him, but I would rather have him have to face the rest of the prison population as a child molester, than have him get the 'easy way' out with lethal injection. It's ironic that the swift execution that you would like to see would probably have happened years ago had the death penalty not been sought. Justice truly is blind.

Answer 3

I am against the death penalty because it plays of the old proverb 'an eye for an eye' and if we all did that then we would all be blind!
What's the difference between a murder and someone who executes a prisoner?? They are both disobeying the commandment of God, 'thou shalt not kill'.
More importantly, Earth is know as hell to most enlightened persons and the afterlife as heaven. Thus, killing a person, no matter how horrible the crime they commited, is giving them a quick ticket to heaven! It is incentive for other mental ill people to kill more people because they will assume the worse I act on earth the better the chance that they will execute me and send me to heaven!!
Realistically, the majority of people who are a threat to society have mental issues and it's not entirely their fault that they commited the crimes. They need to be institutionalized for life or until they developed social skills. I'm sorry but that is the way it is and in the WEST we have people smart enough to reprogram maniacs and we would be turning back the clock if we enforced the death penalty instead of giving these professionals a job!
Also, if someone commits a murder, what is worst: to be killed and move on to heaven where nobody will taunt, judge, mock and abuse you? Or to live with the reprecusions of the crime day in and day out until they come to a self realization (or learned by someone how to behave) and pay back society ?

Answer 4

i am very much for the death penalty. i agree with you that justice should be dispensed once the verdict is rendered, and the sentence is handed down. but, we americans have constitutional rights which, law abiding or not, are guaranteed to all citizens. this piece of ______ has legal rights to appeal his convition. then, the supreme court has their option to review, retry, or toss out the appeal. once the last of the appeals have been exhausted. then we move towards the execution stage. for this reason, it takes many years, maybe decades, to finally stick the needle (or whatever method depending on the state) in the scumbag's arm.

it's a long process, but it's the only one we have. just be glad they brought it back. not all states have it tho. i'm from texas and we are the most active state in sending criminals to death. another part of it is the logjam of cases that need to be tried. don't know if they will ever try to change it, but it will be interesting.

as for this (_o_), i remember seeing him in court (televised) throwing kisses at the family of the victim and showing no remorse whatsoever. if there were true justice, he would get broom handled just like dahmer did in prison. sweet justice.


RE: website listed

canada, get a life and find another cause to throw your money away at. if you want to save these @55 holes, why don't you let them live in your country!!!

Answer 5

I am for the death penalty - I THINK?

I do not like to hear about anyone dieing. However, in Polly Klass' case - I think that man should DIE!!!!!!

What I hate the most is that I work my butt off as a teacher and a single mom and do not have some of the same luxuries that these animals do - at least not for free.

I do not want to hear that these people have lost their freedom and can not come and go as they please!!!!

The vast majority of people in prison belong there!!!! I have never done anything to go to jail, but I still have to work hard to pay for cable t.v., the internet, electricity, water, etc.

Sometimes I wonder who has a better life - me or them?

Answer 6

Yes

Definitely one of those two.



Seriously - I am for it but think that the way it is implemented in ridiculous. I think it should be reserved for only the most egregious serial killers for whom there is absolutely no doubt at all that they did it. (Video tape and a bunch of corpses in their possession - evidence of that magnitude.) Too much I think that the death penalty is used in any case a prosecutor can stretch the minimum legal standard to include. In many cases it is simply used as a bargaining chip. Once convicted every death row case becomes a litmus test for groups crusading against it. In other words I believe that if you are sentenced to death your guilt should be so obvious that there could not be any reasonable appeal based on the evidence.

In Illinois Governor George Ryan - in order to divert attention from his impending indictment and conviction for corruption - did a very thoughtful and thorough review of the approximately 100 men on death row at the time. He found sufficient cause to believe that 2 or 3 probably didn't do it, and that another 40 or more were at least unfairly sentenced to death instead of life because of factors that had no business in the trial process, not the least of which was race. It was also clear that while he might not have been able to tell which convicts were unfairly sentenced to death that he had clear statistical evidence that the law was not being applied equally. His determination was that it was so hard to figure out which, that he commuted ALL 100 death sentences to life. This is now where it gets absurd. The legislature was presented with a bill to reform the laws; to address the issues he had uncovered, and they failed to pass it! So local prosecutors all over the state just went right back to sending more guys to death row under the old laws just as they did before and it continues to this day. Absolutely 100 percent insane!

As for the comforts this guy has ... there is a Chicago Bear spending a couple months in jail for parole violation, who's got none of that (he can't work out or get proper food and has to be locked up 24x7 getting one hour a week to exercise for his own safety). Take away all that stuff and make Davis stare at a blank concrete wall all day. Put him in a bright pink or orange jumpsuit and turn the lights on full blast 24x7 (Super Max style). Do that and death would actually be an improvement.

Answer 7

I'm opposed t the death penalty--primarily because no system of justice can pe perfect; thus as long as we have the deth penalty, some innocent people will end up being executed.

But I DON'tT favor the kind of coddling criminals you describe. We can protect society well enough with life in prison--but these convicts don't need--or deserve--websites, TV's, or any other such luxuries. They should be put to work to offset the cost of incarcerating them.

Answer 8

I am against the death penalty because it has been proven not to be a deterrent, rich people are never executed...only the poor, it costs more to execute someone with all the appeals, etc. than to simply house them for the rest of their lives, but I don't think they should be allowed to have websites.

Answer 9

I am for the death penalty and swift justice. The murderer must be found guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt and limited to one appeal.

I also believe if you are on death row communication should be limited to your family with no special privileges or communication with the outside world.

By the way I am a Democrat.

Answer 10

I'm torn on the death penalty. Not only are prisoners wasting tax dollars sitting in jail, but if they don't care about what they did it's not really suffering for them as they made others suffer.
I think it depends on whether or not they regret what they did.
If they regret it or feel badly, keep them alive and let them live with that.
If it's more than obvious they're just sadistic and could never care less- get rid of them.