ms@dvamc.UUCP (10/03/83)
Perhaps the reason why capital punishment or any other form of punishment under the law is not a deterrent is that they are plea bargained down to squat. In the past 10 or even 20 years, how many criminals have actually been executed that were given a death sentence ? Perhaps the reason why people in other countries are more law abiding is that justice was usually swift and invariable, if you were caught stealing, your hand was cut off. Americans that take drug dealings lightly here in the US are often horribly surprised when they do the same thing in another country. Maybe we finally need to punish the criminal, rather than protect him and blame the victim.
preece@uicsl.UUCP (10/05/83)
#R:dvamc:-109300:uicsl:5400032:000:914 uicsl!preece Oct 4 08:02:00 1983 Perhaps the reason why capital punishment or any other form of punishment under the law is not a deterrent is that they are plea bargained down to squat. In the past 10 or even 20 years, how many criminals have actually been executed that were given a death sentence ? ---------- This misses a basic point. Pleas bargaining happens before sentencing, not after. People sentenced to death don't get executed for several reasons. Some are saved by humane governors (not many). Some are saved by courts invalidating the laws under which they have been sentenced (not so many lately). Most are simply awaiting the end of their appeal process and are, in fact, still under the threat of execution. If you go back more than ten years, however, you're into a period when the Supreme Court had invalidated all capital punishment as not meeting Constitutional requirements. scott preece pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece
mjs@rabbit.UUCP (10/07/83)
Yes, but capital punishment eliminates repeat offenders. :-)
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Marty Shannon
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Phone: 201-582-3199