They may not be old enough to legally vote, drink or buy cigarettes. But they are old enough to plot out a heinous gruesome murder. The girl was home alone and they came prepared to murder her. What should be the appropriate punishment?
2007-06-29 06:58:09 · 26 answers · asked by >Golden Ticket< 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
The worst they will get will be life in prison without the possibility of parole. Why, because in July 2005 The US Supreme Court in Roper v. Simmons, forbids states to order the death penalty for juveniles who have committed murder. The reason is because the human brain is not sufficiently developed enough to be able to help the juvenile make the right decisions in certain actions - such as this murder. Simmons in Roper v. Simmons IQ was at or near moron level and that is how this decision was made.
Punishment - believe me it is worse to stay in prison for the rest of ones life without the possibility of parole because that is the worse than death. When they are executed, it is like taking your sick puppy to the vet to have it put to sleep. Those that kill just go to sleep and it doesn't hurt the way they tortured their victim. With life in prison they will have no peace and have to live with minimal/no real care forever and sooner or later they will become fodder for a true "gorilla". I don't think it can get worse than that!
2007-06-29 07:10:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Tough question
The courts are in place to handle matters that will allow compensation for an aggrieved party to any dispute filed.
I seriously doubt that anyone can replace the girl and make the family whole again - so the courts will have to answer with the next best thing.
Since the two were 17 years of age, capable of knowing the difference between right and wrong, and committed the act with premeditation - they will face a jury and be tried as adults.
Depending on the state a likely verdict will be life in prison or the chair. If its the chair, the sentence will be carried out within 90 days. Local news will cover the issue but national press will not.
Now, all that being said - I still like the idea that they have to make the family whole again - I think they should be given a sex change operation and then made to live with the victims family as their new daughter, replacing the one they took away.....just in case any of you dont recognize sarcasm - I just used it
2007-06-29 18:05:30 · answer #2 · answered by jimkearney746 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think less people would do heinous things like this if punishment were done unto them exactly as they had done unto others. Nowadays, prisons are so full, most sentences get cut in half, if not more, if convicts behave themselves. I don't think prison is enough of a punishment for some criminals-criminals who torture, maime, rape, put their victims through pain before killing them are, in my opinion, the WORST-most of them do this because they enjoy making other people suffer. And their punishment should be that they suffer exactly throught what they made others suffer, even if they don't die, just so they will know first hand exactly how it feels. Of course, in real life this sort of punishment would be abused-what about people who are wrongly accused or framed? But in an ideal world, I think the repercussion of this sort of punishment would make people a lot more aware of how their behavior and actions make others feel.
That's my opinion, anyway.
2007-06-29 07:20:14 · answer #3 · answered by Saiph 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Life in prison...no parole. At their age, they were old enough to know what they were doing...and if they hadn't commited this crime now, it would have been later in their lives. No redemption there.
As I don't believe in Capital Punishment, my only recourse is Life in General Population. Some may say that is cruel, but if they chose to act like criminals, then they should be forced to spend the rest of their lives amidst criminals of their kind, and not safely tucked away for fear of abuse by the others.
2007-06-29 07:03:05 · answer #4 · answered by Super Ruper 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Depends on your state. Life in prison without the opportunity of parole should be the minimum punishment. Clearly this is at the very least first degree premeditated murder.
2007-06-29 07:01:31 · answer #5 · answered by msi_cord 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The juvenile cases and the sealed juvi records need to be abolished. They should be tried as adults, and if they are guilty, get rid of them.
The whole sealed juvenile record thing is ridiculous. They deserve a fair chance, what about the victims of crimes committed by a juvenile, they don't deserve a fair chance in life.
We're way to lenient on criminals of violent crimes.
These so called kids didn't steal a candy bar from a convenience store.
2007-06-29 07:05:48 · answer #6 · answered by awake 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Getting the death penalty would let them off to easy. They should have to sit in a cell 24/7 with a tape playing of her voice and pics of her on their wall. And they should have no privalges, nada nothing.Plus other inmates don't take to kindly to punks doing that kinda of crime. In the end they will get their just reward.
2007-06-29 07:03:24 · answer #7 · answered by Pakalakia N 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Death! or Life in Prison w/ no chance of parole. If they confess they can spare themselves the death penalty. But if they spend the rest of their lives in prison...us taxes payers are paying for it.
Now, if I ran the government...I would let the guilty party be left alone in a room with the girls family for them to take matters in their own hands, or baseball bats.
2007-06-29 07:04:47 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Life.
2007-06-29 07:03:27 · answer #9 · answered by John G 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think that life in prison without ANY possibility of parole is the appropriate sentence.
2007-06-29 07:06:11 · answer #10 · answered by Tony M 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋