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Originally Posted by Taltarzac725
Georgia Woman Set to Die Despite Anti-Death-Penalty Pleas - WSJ
What do you think of the death penalty? I think a huge amount of who decides to carry this out should be the victims of the specific case after all the appeals and facts have been exhausted with respect to errors of some kind.
Recall that my 224 613 Project involves a woman was unjustly held responsible for the 2-24-1976 murder of Michelle Mitchell in Reno, Nevada. This is Cathy Woods who made a false confession to the crime and continued it as far as I know for decades mainly because she is a paranoid schizophrenic. They probably have the right person now in Rodney Halbower but the facts are not all in on that either and may never be. Charges Dismissed Against Cathy Woods for 1976 Murder
My 224 613 Project is to empower survivors/victims of crimes through access in libraries and elsewhere to the most practical information for their recovery, sense of justice, mental health, etc. These needs though determined mostly by these survivors/victims and not by academic librarians, law librarians, law professors, politicians nor bureaucrats.
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Tal: This is a very difficult topic to wade through. First most people with mental illness do not have a criminal overlay and in fact it is a crime in this country how poorly people with mental illnesses are treated. Better yet not treated because of stupid laws and people's ignorance. So many police departments have no understanding of how to address this issue. Also as to accurate diagnosis even the doctors get it wrong. So the pleas of insanity in a court room are always looked upon with suspicion. and of course it doesn't help when a criminal defense lawyers pleas a twinkie defense
As to the death penalty there is such a difference state by state and even counties within a state as to their applications of criminal sentencing, exacerbated by the plea bargaining .
People read every day ,where given the same crime, one person walks free in one state while in another state the person is locked up for 20 years.
I recognize that on the surface it may seem the same but is not and that prior criminal acts factor in but it can't explain it all away.
I do believe in capital punishment in some cases serial killing of a people, killing of cops, multiple killings by gang members, killings that are so horrific that they would shock the conscious.
We also find that many murders are committed with a person with a long illegal drug use, another problem this nation has mishandled for a very long time
It cost much to house a criminal and if killers are given life sentences chances are they will end up being paroled. This is especially true in liberal states or where budget are being strained
Essentially state politics plays a big role in the manner and way the judicial and correction systems operate and that I agree is a major flaw because it leaves rehabilitated people left to rot while in other states they are freed
Having said all that it is not a perfect system but scientific methods are improving its accuracy. As to innocence or guilt it kicks as much as it cuts to wit; Casey Anthony and OJ Simpson
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