Sometimes, I favor the death penalty

[gabosaurus]

In pretty much all cases, I am opposed to the death penalty. Then there are some where I believe it is appropriate.
See if you agree...

Times News Services
HOUSTON -- A Houston Special Olympics coach is scheduled to be in court today after authorities accused him of sexually assaulting a mentally challenged woman.

Houston police arrested Johnny G.Villalobos, 65, after they found him parked in the driveway of an abandoned home.

Villalobos allegedly was having sex with the victim, 29, who is a member of the Special Olympics team that he coached. He admitted having "numerous sexual encounters'' with the victim during questioning by investigators with Houston Police Department's sex crimes unit.

Villalobos is employed as a teacher's aide with the Aldine Independent School District, police said.

Officials with Special Olympics of Texas said they were "deeply disturbed'' by the allegations against Villalobos, who has been removed from the program.

"Special Olympics of Texas places the highest priority on the safety and well-being of our athletes,'' they said in a statement. "This organization has a zero-tolerance policy in regards to any criminal action against an athlete.''

Special Olympics officials said they uncovered no past criminal history during a background check of Villalobos.

"When Special Olympics Texas was notified of the investigation, (Villalobos) was suspended indefinitely, and he was barred from involvement in the program and from contact with the athletes.''

[-Cp]

That's sick indeed.....

[diuretic]

But when you see the number of innocent people who have been convicted of various crimes you understand why the death penalty is inherently unjust.

[CockySOB]

The death penalty is too good for this slime.

[diuretic]

The death penalty is too good for this slime.

What should he get?

[glockmail]

In pretty much all cases, I am opposed to the death penalty. Then there are some where I believe it is appropriate.
See if you agree...
....

Not enough that you took out of the article to even suggest that a rape had occurred. Do you advocate the death penalty for rapists?

[theHawk]

We need a death penalty for sexual abusers of all types.

[CockySOB]

What should he get?

Life at hard labor.

[Hobbit]

But when you see the number of innocent people who have been convicted of various crimes you understand why the death penalty is inherently unjust.

On the contrary, with our convoluted appeals system, it is nigh impossible for an innocent person to get the death penalty, and it remains the only way to ensure a life sentence.

[manu1959]

But when you see the number of innocent people who have been convicted of various crimes you understand why the death penalty is inherently unjust.

how many innocent people have been put to death?

[Roomy]

how many innocent people have been put to death?


Many thousands I would say throughout history, it depends how far back you want to go.I don't think it would happen as much today with the advent of DNA testing and yes I agree with the death penalty, I also believe it should be carried out with the utmost haste, families can be compensated for any proved miscarriages.It should also be applied to convicted rapists and paedophiles.

[diuretic]

We need a death penalty for sexual abusers of all types.

Bad policy.

[diuretic]

Life at hard labor.


Damn right.

[diuretic]

On the contrary, with our convoluted appeals system, it is nigh impossible for an innocent person to get the death penalty, and it remains the only way to ensure a life sentence.

Texas manages it fine what's wrong with the rest of the States that have the death penalty?

It's not a life penalty, it's a death penalty. A life penalty means someone can be released from prison if they're later found to be innocent. They get some money for the wasted years of their life of course, which is nice. When someone is dead they can get a posthumous pardon when the state admits it got it wrong and that's nice for the family. Too bad the innocent person is dead though.

[diuretic]

how many innocent people have been put to death?

I don't know of course, how many?

[CockySOB]

Damn right.

Yeah, but my definition of "life at hard labor" makes all the historical descriptions of slavery pale by comparison.

[diuretic]

Yeah, but my definition of "life at hard labor" makes all the historical descriptions of slavery pale by comparison.

I bet it's all been done before though ;)

[SassyLady]

Life at hard labor.


good until some do-gooder liberal comes along and redefines "hard labor".


It's hard to redefine "death".

[diuretic]

good until some do-gooder liberal comes along and redefines "hard labor".


It's hard to redefine "death".

Damn hard to reverse it too.

[SassyLady]

Damn hard to reverse it too.

Yep!

I wonder how many people who have been put to death have been proven innocent after the fact, as opposed to how many guilty are still sitting on death row, or have been released? Seems to me like the numbers are far from equal.

[Gunny]

But when you see the number of innocent people who have been convicted of various crimes you understand why the death penalty is inherently unjust.

The death penalty is not inherently unjust. The inconsistent application of the death penalty is unjust.

[Gunny]

Damn hard to reverse it too.

I believe the death penalty is just punishment for 1st degree murder, and a few other equally heinious crimes.

Having said that, I also believe that no one should be convicted to death based solely on circumstantial evidence unless it is so overwhelming it leaves ZERO doubt of guilt.

[LiberalNation]

Yeah, but my definition of "life at hard labor" makes all the historical descriptions of slavery pale by comparison.
Good idea but would it pass the cruel and unusual smell test? I'm thinking probably not. Didn't the french have system like this with devils Island and whatnot.

[diuretic]

Yep!

I wonder how many people who have been put to death have been proven innocent after the fact, as opposed to how many guilty are still sitting on death row, or have been released? Seems to me like the numbers are far from equal.

Would you like to be the volunteer who is executed but innocent? That's my rather colourful way of saying, one innocent person executed is one too many.

[diuretic]

The death penalty is not inherently unjust. The inconsistent application of the death penalty is unjust.

You're right, I made an error in suggesting the death penalty was "inhertently unjust". That was sloppy. The death penalty is inherently unjust simply because of the possibility that an innocent person can be executed. That's better. I did need to explain my reasoning otherwise the statement just stands there without any backup.

[diuretic]

I believe the death penalty is just punishment for 1st degree murder, and a few other equally heinious crimes.

Having said that, I also believe that no one should be convicted to death based solely on circumstantial evidence unless it is so overwhelming it leaves ZERO doubt of guilt.

And that's why I oppose it. There is no way on this Earth that a proof at that level will be reached in a court of law. The whole trial process is just an exercise in probabilities.

[SassyLady]

Would you like to be the volunteer who is executed but innocent? That's my rather colourful way of saying, one innocent person executed is one too many.


Sure, I have no problem with being executed, if it means the timely application of the system overall so that a majority of those who are guilty are executed.

[lily]

And that's why I oppose it. There is no way on this Earth that a proof at that level will be reached in a court of law. The whole trial process is just an exercise in probabilities.

You would still oppose it if DNA proved without a shadow of a doubt that a person did it?