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Post by Jesse Cummings on May 29, 2003 19:44:39 GMT -6
I would like to share some of my thoughts and opinions about the American Justice System.
First of all, I'm a supporter of the death penalty. I feel the death penalty should be reserved for the most henious crime committed, The Death penalty should be fair and impartial. By no means should the Death penalty be a punishment imposed because of a person's skin color or their inability to pay high priced fancy attorneys or hire top notch investegators.
Some people would think I am way too vendictive because I don't believe in life in prison for murderers that do harm to others. Criminals have a choice when they commit their crimes 1) They don't have to do their criminal actions 2) When they choose their fate then the punishment should suit the crime.
Besides all that poltical talk B.S
I want to just cut to the chase of what my message is all about.
I keep hearing more and more that innocent people are being wrongfully convicted or perhaps wrongfully executed for a crime they never committed. I find that to be very disturbing and horrifying. The worst nightmare of all would be to execute an innocent person.
If I was a governor in a Death penalty state and I just ordered the execution of innocent person and I failed to afford the death row inmate every legal resource to prove his/her innocents. I would be devastated and disgusted.
This just proves how broken and unreliable our law enforcement agencies and court system really is. Therefore, the failures that come through our broken justice system stream right down to innocent people.
In my opinion there should be a federal and state wrongful inmate conviction and compensation recovery act (WICCRA) that entitles wrongfully convicted inmates and wrongfully executed inmates families to federal and state compensation and health care insurance for the remainder of their lives.
The law should entitle the inmate and his/her family
tax-free monthly payments up to $5,000 to $50,000 for the duration of each of the inmates family members life.
The federal law should also require states to commence monthy payments within 1-6 months after the inmate is released from a state facility.
The inmate would not be allowed to file a lawsuit for a large sum of money because their compensation would be covered under the WICCRA Act.
The mission of the WICCRA Act should encourage the justice system to do better and be more accurate in bringing criminals to justice and not innocent people to justice.
This may seem like a extreamely expensive bill to sign into law but our justice system needs to be reformed and innocent people who are wrongfully subjected to our broken justice system deserves to be compensated for the rest of their lives including their family members.
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Scott
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"Capital punishment is a government program, so skepticism is in order." (George Will)
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Post by Scott on May 29, 2003 20:41:47 GMT -6
I'm with you on the money issue. Kirk Bloodsworth, for example, only got 300,000 dollars. That works out to about 33,000 dollars for each of the years he was on death row. So there are those who argue that as a commerical fisherman, that was a fair settlement.
And there are actually people who still argue that he was guilty.
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Post by TexasLady on May 30, 2003 5:47:22 GMT -6
I'm with you on the money issue. Kirk Bloodsworth, for example, only got 300,000 dollars. That works out to about 33,000 dollars for each of the years he was on death row. So there are those who argue that as a commerical fisherman, that was a fair settlement. And there are actually people who still argue that he was guilty. No, that works out to $150,000 for each year he was on death row, if you want to figure it that way. He was on death row for two year. His first conviction was overturned, he was given a new trial and again found guilty and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. I don't believe they should be compensated at all. He was tried and convicted twice. The governor pardoned him. I realize he's now the Anti Poster Boy but I don't see any reason he should be paid for his time in prison. |
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Scott
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"Capital punishment is a government program, so skepticism is in order." (George Will)
Posts: 434
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Post by Scott on May 30, 2003 12:47:30 GMT -6
Texas lady wrote, "I don't see any reason he should be paid for his time in prison."
Really? How about because he was/is innocent? The sperm found in the rape/murder victim was NOT his and DNA analysis proved this.
You still don't think he should get any money?
Sincerely.
Scott
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Post by TexasLady on May 30, 2003 13:04:34 GMT -6
No, I don't. The imprisonment wasn't malicious. If he is, indeed, innocent it was a mistake. Remember, he was found guilty twice in two separate trials by two totally different juries.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2003 6:53:44 GMT -6
No, I don't. The imprisonment wasn't malicious. If he is, indeed, innocent it was a mistake. Remember, he was found guilty twice in two separate trials by two totally different juries. so the state is free to make mistakes, possibly destroy someone's life, add a stigma to someone's record, deprive him of years of his life and doesn't owe any retribution... Surely individuals are held to a tougher standard if they happen to make a mistake, though? |
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Scott
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"Capital punishment is a government program, so skepticism is in order." (George Will)
Posts: 434
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Post by Scott on Jun 1, 2003 7:25:55 GMT -6
Exactly. Let's say I am driving my car and a wasp (i.e., a hornet) flys into my open window and causes me to loose control of the car, hitting a pedestrian. Let's suppose it is a minor injury -- a broken leg. requiring several months off work since the injured man is a construction worker by trade. I can bet you than any lawyer in the yellow pages is going to try to get more than 300,000 for his injuries. so the state is free to make mistakes, possibly destroy someone's life, add a stigma to someone's record, deprive him of years of his life and doesn't owe any retribution... Surely individuals are held to a tougher standard if they happen to make a mistake, though? |
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Post by nathanf on Jun 7, 2003 8:31:00 GMT -6
in Canada if you hold out and are dilligent about your case you can get quite alot and we don't have the death penalty!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2004 3:42:10 GMT -6
It is the worst possible outcome that someone who is really innocent is convicted, but they are afforded many more protections against wrongful conviction than most countries in the world. The actual numbers are very small compared to the number of convictions. The only time that someone who was convicted should receive compensation is if there was intentional wrongdoing by the prosecution (like planting evidence).
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Post by Donnie on Mar 2, 2004 6:14:01 GMT -6
No actually individuals are seldom held to any standard at all. Look at all the murder victims. How many of them were compensated by the person who killed them? Look at all the rape victims. How many of them were compensated by their rapists? The answer you will find is almost none of them. That is generally true for crime victims. My daughter and wife have both been harmed by negligent people who were insured. Their compensation has never risen to the level of what they suffered. On the other hand my wife has been sued twice for things that she did not do. It was cheaper to settle out of court than fight the suit. So in addition to not being compensated for harm to her, she has had to pay people that she didn't harm. so the state is free to make mistakes, possibly destroy someone's life, add a stigma to someone's record, deprive him of years of his life and doesn't owe any retribution... Surely individuals are held to a tougher standard if they happen to make a mistake, though? |
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Post by Donnie on Mar 2, 2004 6:15:21 GMT -6
No Scott, you are simply wrong. That may be true in PA although I doubt it. It certainly isn't true in Ohio or Minnesota. Exactly. Let's say I am driving my car and a wasp (i.e., a hornet) flys into my open window and causes me to loose control of the car, hitting a pedestrian. Let's suppose it is a minor injury -- a broken leg. requiring several months off work since the injured man is a construction worker by trade. I can bet you than any lawyer in the yellow pages is going to try to get more than 300,000 for his injuries. |
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Post by matthew outside on Mar 2, 2004 7:36:16 GMT -6
punishent for the Judges, Prosecutors, Police involved (just like Doctors are debarred from practise) is also necessary to weed out the incompetents and send a clear message that inefficiency wont be tolerated.
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Post by Felix on Apr 15, 2004 8:56:55 GMT -6
seems to me that if he was mistakenly convicted twice, that says something is stinking in your Justice system, or at least that their reviews are rubber stamping exercises.
You damned well should compensate the wrongfully convicted, hit you in your pockets and perhaps you will be less cavalier about the way you dole out your "justice"!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2004 16:50:16 GMT -6
By no means should the Death penalty be a punishment imposed because of a person's skin color or their inability to pay high priced fancy attorneys or hire top notch investegators.
"I do agree sir, O.J Simpson should never have used the race card, man Johnny did well for a couple of years."
I keep hearing more and more that innocent people are being wrongfully convicted or perhaps wrongfully executed for a crime they never committed. I find that to be very disturbing and horrifying. The worst nightmare of all would be to execute an innocent person.
"Could you please name a couple of the innocents you are talking about hell innocents get killed all the time Little children(in the most horrorable ways as well as women&Men)"
This just proves how broken and unreliable our law enforcement agencies and court system really is. Therefore, the failures that come through our broken justice system stream right down to innocent people.
"Everything made by man will breakdown and become unreliable why chose the only one that rids the world of murdering monster`s that want nothing to do then rip your head off?"
In my opinion there should be a federal and state wrongful inmate conviction and compensation recovery act (WICCRA) that entitles wrongfully convicted inmates and wrongfully executed inmates families to federal and state compensation and health care insurance for the remainder of their lives.
"The Government is so burdened already how much more will it take before resources run out?"
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