Quote:
Originally Posted by zcaveman
Assuming that we had such a test and the person in question passed the test, how do we know that the person has not deteriorated over time and not is no longer sane? Do we need checkups?
When a person is found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, he was pronounced sane. After 15 years on death row and living in a secluded environment, he is now declared mentally incompetent and is no longer eligible for the death sentence.
Is that fair to the family of the victim that he killed? And probably in a horrific fashion.
Z
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That's a very good question zcaveman. Should we kill people who become insane due to their life in prison for heinous crimes they committed when in full control of their faculties? I do believe that a person should know that they are being punished for what they did and if they are too far gone to even know that.... I would be very sceptical though of lawyers making this claim as well as the psychiatrists in their employ.
You know I have great respect and drive to get victims involved in the criminal justice system, so they should have quite a lot of say in this. Of course, no two victim families are alike. Some are very quick to turn the cheek, while others might take the law in their own hands if given any chance.