Sex Offender vs. Bank Robber - Hypothetical Question - Morals Question?

Question

This is for a college paper of mine. The more answers, the better the poll.

You are put in charge of releasing one of two convicts.

YOU MUST RELEASE ONE OF THEM!!! If you can't play along, please don't answer.

Why would you release the one over the other.

Convict #1: Fourth Conviction in his life. Bank robber - held up a bank and held 25 hostages for 12 hours. Children were among hostages. One old woman died from exhaustion. The robber did not directly kill any of them but nonethe less is responsible for the death.

Convict #2: First conviction in his life. 32 year old man downloaded child porn from a newsgroup. Never touched a child; however, will be registered as a sexual offender when released.

Answer 1

No contest -- the person who has never harmed anyone else, who has a first offense, and whose offense was non-violent -- by far a lesser threat.

Answer 2

I'd have to say the bank robber. Granted it's his fourth offense; however, in my opinion poses less of a threat to the community than the child molester.

Granted, an elderly woman died as a result of the robbery, however, his intent was to steal from the bank (which is insured) and not to hurt anyone in the bank. Although it is sad a person died during the commission of the robbery.

The child molester, even as a first time offender poses a greater risk to the community. Even after release he will more than likely find ways to come into contact with children and find ways to look at child porn. Although according to the scenario has never harmed a child, it isn't that much more of a leap to go from the fantasy on-line phase to the actual molestation phase.

Additionally, in my opinion, the fact that he will be required to register as a sex offender isn't much of a deterrent. He can easily change his name or move to a new community or even leave the country and continue to his child porn habits.

I guess what it boils down to is that the child porn guy will always be a threat, because children are quite trusting and he can use that to his advantage.

Answer 3

It's a difficult call, but I'd go with #2. I would hate to think what would happen if that person actually did end up hurting a child - how I would feel being the person who released him, but I would trust in the sex offender registry, and the fact that he was hopefully "scared straight" by his conviction.

Releasing the bank robber is a virtual guarantee of another crime being committed, and any kind of robbery with a hostage situation could easily turn deadly very quickly.

It's the lesser of two evils.

Answer 4

I would release the bank robber, The reason is this is his 4th conviction but in all his robberies he didn't hurt anybody directly so in the same way he will act in the sameway which will not create much prob to other human beings, in the other hand the sexual offender, this is first conviction, but the worst the started with , we dont know for sure, how extreme he will go after this and personally i hate people who does sexual crime against childs

Answer 5

I don't know, I'm quite concerned about several issues here, the main one is that it now seems apparently OK for the British legal system and the police and media to name a suspect publicly on arrest before they have been charged, because we believe that sexual assault of any degree is such a 'foul crime', along with terrorism, that justice should be thrown out of the window and for some reason our age old principle of 'innocent until proved guilty' should not apply. In the past the police had to establish a firm case against an individual to take it to court, and reporting restrictions applied before the court case, now we seem to doing the opposite, I accept that in past cases of sexual crimes it was often difficult for the victim to get the just redress, but we may not be helping anyone now by going to the opposite extreme, and labelling politically anyone who tries to stick up for the rule of law as a leftie paedophile enabler. This may not help anyone who has been abused to get real justice in a climate of moral panic, the implemention of the law has to be about clear rational thinking and logic, and firm evidence, always, or else we really are 'doomed' if we allow the law to be twisted towards outcome rather than due process.

Answer 6

The bank robber would seem the logical choice because he has an established pattern, and would be easier monitered. Yet by law you cannot punish a man for a crime he has not committed yet. This means the logical choice is Convict number 2.

Answer 7

The bank robber would be convicted and punished to the fullest extent of the law, according to a Regulated law, and corporal punishment procedures, as voted by the population of the States.

The download would be released with restrictions of his appearance around certain child activities, and counseling, along with his privilege of Internet use restricted to e-mail, and communication with authorized persons.

Answer 8

Tough one, but I would convict number two. We have better defenses and chances of catching up with bank robbers then children predators. I rather see a grown man with a distorted mind then a bank robber do time. And, we here more of children being kid napped and made into sexual victims and murder then bank robbery's.

Good Luck with your paper!

Answer 9

Release Convict # 2...first offense. No intent to harm directly and can correct himself. He is registered as a sexual offender.

Convict #1 has demonstrated he will not change (4th conviction) and does not regard peoples lives as important.

Answer 10

The kiddie-porn curiosity seeker has not shown a clear inclination to harm another person, whereas the bank robber has shown both a reckless disregard for life and a clear tendency to flaunt the law.

Answer 11

I would let the bank robber go b/c, if someone had not caught the sex offender, then who knows what may have happened. You have a better chance of keeping your eye on the bank robber. At least, that my opinion.