How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

[matapule]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

Two thirds of Americans prefer alternative to Death Penalty.

[Kalalau]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

So here I am wandering off topic...so many facts were known about bush, "Shrub" by Molly Ivins should have been required reading. I heard her interviewed once, what a gentle sense of humor she had...the interviewer introduces her as "one of bush's strongest critics" to which she replies, "oh my no, I am far from being one of his strongest critics". Then the interview with bush's econ prof from college, Professor Tsurumi, I think you can still find it on line...bush liked to wear his flight jacket to class, he liked to shoot spitwads at female students, professor Tsurumi said bush seldom did any work and as a result he usually failed and when he did he always blamed those around him. Leopards don't change their spots, the song of canaries never varies, etc. That bush was allowed to waltz into the presidency without criticism from the news media is a horrendous commentary against the news media, it failed in its most basic responsibility, bush and the disasters he left behind are as much the news media's fault as the supreme ct's. Hard to get away from the conclusion that its all corrupt.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

That warped mindset was quite obvious before any con's pres. election bid, from '80 on. They still have many in support. What a shame some vote in those with no conscience to value.

[Kalalau]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

Supposedly bush & his AG Gonzalez used to get their yucks laughing over clemency appeals from condemned prisoners. Hilarious. If its true that seems to show the exact precise definitive personality you NEVER want running your country. Life, irrelevant. No ability to feel compassion.

I am serious about feeling free of guilt for the death of innocents. As an adult I have never advocated the death penalty, so there is no innocent blood on my hands. If there is a God that is one thing I will not have to answer for. I value having a clear conscience.

[Ron Whitfield]

WTF, excuse me?

Although apparently the article shows you can't "blame Bush" for this one.

Geez, feel the Bush-love...
Yes, he is most certainly to blame, directly.
It was his immediate admin's utmost duty to have handle an issue which holds life in it's hands as properly as humanly possible. They did not. They knew that in W's Texas if a court says you're to die, you are gonna die no matter what. They didn't care enuf to do the most basic humane thing because they knew their boss didn't care. The only thing uber small-man-complex Bush cared about in these cases was showing us what a badass Yankee transplant he was, all a worthless show that continues to this very day. Fugum!

[Kalalau]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

Nope, just a mere clerical error. Ooops.

[bjd392]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

Feelings are still the same. Although apparently the article shows you can't "blame Bush" for this one.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101111/..._execution_dna
ooops

However, as time and tech march on, it's looking like DNA ain't all it was cracked up to be, and false readings are occurring. Fingerprints pau, DNA going, ocular too 1984... what's the next temporary godsend?

[Kalalau]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101111/..._execution_dna


ooops

[Leo Lakio]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

If a defendant is stone cold guilty without a shadow of a doubt, why wait 20 years?

Because we are a nation ruled by law, not by passion.

We have a very cautious judicial structure, developed over centuries, which is designed to try to be as fair to all citizens as possible. And it still makes mistakes. Rushing to take an irreversable step, rather than moving through the legal process so carefully built up, is a violation of fundamental American principles.

[Polopony]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

I'm still new here, but I'll wade into this discussion.
I feel that the death penalty can be a justified form of punishment and should in an option in cases of extreme violence coupled with a murder. For example, anything that involves torture or deprivation of the victim, rape/murder, clear case of being a serial killer, such like that. I do not feel that children should get a death sentence, nor should the legitimately mentally retarded. Also, I feel that the appeals process for those convicted could be shortened in some cases. If a defendant is stone cold guilty without a shadow of a doubt, why wait 20 years? If there is doubt as to guilt or the possibility of evidence to prove innocence in the future, then speeding up the execution would not be an option. Also, I would give inmates on death row to pack it in early if they so chose. Many would not chose to lose any extra time they had, but some might just because they are tired of the monotony.
I'm all for the vindication of the innocent, as all people should be, but seeing the photos from cases in my husband's books and being an avid reader of true crime reports, I strongly believe the death penalty has it's place in American society.

[bjd392]

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

Word just in:

CT Court decision: Death Penalty for Steven Hayes.

If there was any time this should be used, this would be the case. The verdicts for the >14 separate counts against him were all eligible for death sentences. The Jury did it right.

Nowhere in the nation would this case beget a death sentence... BUT.

Hi Everyone,
In the case of Vernon Bartley:
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/global/...asp?s=12086560

The murderer was only 15 years old when he committed his vicious act of rape, robbery, and murder. Because of the laws in this nation, no juvenile offender can get a death sentence anymore, and I don't think there are any exceptions.

Still, using common sense, this Bartley, now a young adult, who admitted to the crime, will serve some time in prison. Hopefully, it will be a lot of time if it isn't the rest of his life. BUT, if he gets out, who would give him a job even if he is trained or skilled to do something? What is the purpose of incarcerating him for the rest of his life? Punishment?

Does anyone feel sorry for this vicious "child"????

This is the reason I propose one court where we all face should we commit a crime, and that a death sentence for certain crimes like this should be an exerciseable option. Age should be a consideration, but it should never be a restriction. Let's get rid of the Juvenile Courts and have ONE criminal court.
Nobu

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

I tend to think Honolulu PD is not free from this guilt, otherwise there wouldn't be other threads that gripe about their... "poor" performance as a law enforcement agency. Preferential treatment to "locals" (you know, the type that KSSK talks about in their morning news... the child molestors, spousal abusers, etc.) over haoles, tourists and military members is still racism, no matter how the pie is sliced.

The law enforcement agencies that I worked with and volunteered for heard about some of the things they did, and were thoroughly disappointed. We'll leave it at that.

Hi BJD392.
I happen to agree with your post, but other than agreement, I will not get into it much because it might steer us off topic. HPD has made major strides in getting better about racial or ethnic discrimination over the years, to the point where most of it is not visible anymore.
Nobu

Re: How about reinstating capital punishment in Hawaii?

The video of the beating of King was very clear. An unresisting man on the ground was brutally beaten by 4 cops. An all white jury let them walk. There just happened to be a camera running when the cops beat King, don't you wonder how many times the same thing has happened when cameras didn't happen to be running. You can't treat people that way on a regular basis. Oh sure you can get away with it once in a while if beating people really appeals to you, and it shouldn't to anybody, especially police officers. All you do by doing that, all the system does by pretending that it isn't happening, is to make riots like the Watts Riots and the King Riots INEVITABLE. It is an investment in chaos that is guaranteed to pay off. Negatively. No, the Honolulu police department does not have a good reputation, either. Neither does the New Orleans police dept. There was some famous personality assessment study that found that the personality to become a criminal and to become a police officer were very similar. In my life I have had contact with a few police officers, some were as polite as can be, some were needlessly rude and antagonistic, inappropriate and unfair, and I am white, Blacks and Hispanics must have it a lot worse. The good cops shouldn't tolerate the bad ones, that only contributes to events like the King riots, yet there is that code of silence. I do know several people who have worked various levels in the justice system, they assure me that cops lie under oath as easily as you or I might order a sandwich. Blind faith in cops is misplaced. Of course, we need them, but like anything or anybody else, they need to be kept under control. Think of what the phrase "police state" means.

Hi Kalalau,
I saw the same video, and came to the same conclusion that you did. However, BJD392 had a much better view of the case than we did. King was high on PCP. I don't know if you know the effects of PCP. but it is a very dangerous drug.
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/lsd/f/lsd_faq05.htm

What you must remember, is we were not sitting in the courtroom to listen to the testimony, or view the actual evidences. All we saw, was the video. The video does not tell the whole story.
Nobu