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Is Shapiro Death Penalty Announcement a "Game Changer" ?

protectionist

Governor
On Feb. 16, dramatic change for Pennsylvania. Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that he would ask the state legislature to abolish capital punishment. He promised not to sign any execution warrants as governor, and to grant a reprieve to any inmate whose execution already is scheduled. This is a dramatic change for dramatic change for Pennsylvania. .

For a long time, Pennsylvania has been one of the top states for capital punishment executions, so this represents a significant change. Currently there are 101 inmates on Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections death row.

Pennsylvania has become what political scientist Daniel Hopkins calls the “perennial battleground state.” It’s a central place to understand U.S. politics, Hopkins contends, because “the main currents in the nation are present here.”

In this context, Gov, Shapiro’s announcement is a strong signal for some, that it is "safe" for officials in other battleground states and in neighboring states like Ohio to oppose the death penalty.

Shapiro maintains that this is a right vs wrong, and that executing people is just wrong. There is also the long-time argument that there is risk in execution, that innocent people may be executed.

On the other hand, there is risk also that innocent people may be imprisoned for years or decades, but no one is calling for an end to imprisonment (at least not any sane people). Then there is also the risk (a gamble) that killers not executed, might kill again. A problem that can only be erased by execution.

Why Pennsylvania governor’s call to end state’s death penalty may be a game changer | The Hill
 

protectionist

Governor
Lots of reasons why prison (instead of the death penalty) is a big RISK.

John McRae -- Michigan/Florida. Life for murder of 8-year-old boy. Pedophile. Paroled 1971.

Convicted of another murder of a boy after parole, in Michigan 1998.
Charges pending on 2 other counts in Florida.
 
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protectionist

Governor
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Dawud Mu'Min -- Virginia. Killed cab driver in holdup. Sentenced 1973. Escaped 1988. Raped/killed woman 1988. Condemned 1989. Executed 1997.
 

protectionist

Governor
Samuel D. Smith -- in prison for murdering Zita Casey, 79, during a burglary in St. Louis in 1978. While in prison, he murdered another inmate, Marlin May, during a knife fight in 1987.
 

protectionist

Governor
Chad Allen Lee -- Convicted of capital murder. Sentenced to other than death. Released and went on murder spree. Murdering Linda Reynolds, a pizza delivery person, and 9 days later robbed and murdered David Lacey, a taxi cab driver. Lee then robbed a mini-market 7 days after than. Shooting the owner, Harold Drury, multiple times without reason.
 

protectionist

Governor
Timothy Hancock -- Serving a life sentence for a murder he committed in 1990, murdered his cellmate, Jason Wagner, in November 2000, while serving his life sentence.
 

protectionist

Governor
Corey R. Barton -- In 1983 he murdered 16-year-old Shari-Ann Merton. He received 18 years in prison. He was released after serving 9 years and 8 months. In November 1998, he murdered 27 year-old Sally Harris of North Carolina.

Cuhuatemoc Hinricky Peraita -- Rainbow City, Alabama, who was serving life without parole for 3 murders in Gadsden, Alabama was found guilty of capital murder for murdering a fellow inmate.
 

protectionist

Governor
Martsay Bolder -- Missouri. Serving a sentence of life for first-degree murder in 1973. Murdered prison cellmate 1979.

Henry Brisbon, Illinois. Murdered 2 in robbery. Sentenced to 1000- 3000 years. Killed inmate in prison 1982. Sentenced to DP. Commuted by Governor Ryan.
 

protectionist

Governor
In many cases, killers sentenced to life in prison, kill again inside the prison. Sometimes it is prison inmates, sometime guards, sometimes employees (cafeteria, maintenance, etc). In the case of the fellow inmates, they are criminals serving time too, but that doesnt mean it's OK for them to be killed.
 

protectionist

Governor
Arthur J. Bomar, Jr. -- released from prison in Nevada on parole in 1990. Bomar had served 11 years of a murder sentence for killing a man over an argument about a parking space. Six years later in Pennsylvania, Bomar brutally kidnapped, raped and murdered George Mason University star athlete Aimee Willard.

Arthur Shawcross (The 'Monster of the Rivers') -- Released after serving a 25 year sentence for a child murder, turned to murdering prostitutes. At least 10 in all. Now serving ten consecutive sentences of 25 years to life - 250 years in all.
Leaving him able to kill again - inside the prison. If he does, what will they do ? Extend his sentence to 350 years ? The next one, 450 ?
 
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protectionist

Governor
Scott Lehr -- Convicted of capital murder. Sentenced to other than death. Later released. After release, between Feb 91 and Feb 92 lured 10 different female victims, between the ages of 10 and 48-years-old, into his car. Raping and beating them unconscious, stripped and adandoned them in the desert. Three of his victims died in those acts.

Kenneth McDuff - Sentenced to the DP, but overturned. Subsequently released, and murdered as many as 19 young women after his release. Finally executed in 1998 for the murder of Melissa Ann Northrup see ... Who once remarked "Killing a woman is like killing a chicken. They both squawk."
 

PhilFish

Administrator
Staff member
I am very much for the death penalty. I live in Pennsylvania and on the rare occasion that someone is wrongly sentenced it is my fervent position that every avenue be exhausted before that person is put to death to ensure that the wrong individual is not executed. I hope it makes you happier than I visited this thread that you've been bumping incessantly
 

protectionist

Governor
I am very much for the death penalty. I live in Pennsylvania and on the rare occasion that someone is wrongly sentenced it is my fervent position that every avenue be exhausted before that person is put to death to ensure that the wrong individual is not executed. I hope it makes you happier than I visited this thread that you've been bumping incessantly
Re: bumping >>> Form follows function.

Absolute certainty of guilt is required for the death penalty, but it must be used whenever it can be.. The risk of bypassing it is enormous,
 
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Zam-Zam

Senator
On Feb. 16, dramatic change for Pennsylvania. Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that he would ask the state legislature to abolish capital punishment. He promised not to sign any execution warrants as governor, and to grant a reprieve to any inmate whose execution already is scheduled. This is a dramatic change for dramatic change for Pennsylvania. .

For a long time, Pennsylvania has been one of the top states for capital punishment executions, so this represents a significant change. Currently there are 101 inmates on Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections death row.

Pennsylvania has become what political scientist Daniel Hopkins calls the “perennial battleground state.” It’s a central place to understand U.S. politics, Hopkins contends, because “the main currents in the nation are present here.”

In this context, Gov, Shapiro’s announcement is a strong signal for some, that it is "safe" for officials in other battleground states and in neighboring states like Ohio to oppose the death penalty.

Shapiro maintains that this is a right vs wrong, and that executing people is just wrong. There is also the long-time argument that there is risk in execution, that innocent people may be executed.

On the other hand, there is risk also that innocent people may be imprisoned for years or decades, but no one is calling for an end to imprisonment (at least not any sane people). Then there is also the risk (a gamble) that killers not executed, might kill again. A problem that can only be erased by execution.

Why Pennsylvania governor’s call to end state’s death penalty may be a game changer | The Hill
I personally am not a fan of the death penalty - It seems to be more about vengeance than it is about justice. I understand the visceral reaction to a person who has committed a particularly heinous act, but I try to remove the raw emotion from the equation and consider the logic instead...If we as a society insist murder is wrong and immoral, how can we justify state-sponsored murder?

I do want offenders punished of course, and I believe hard time should be just that. I am fine with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which I believe protects society as best it can. This is far from perfect, but no perfect system of justice exists in this earthly life.

My two cents.
 

protectionist

Governor
I personally am not a fan of the death penalty - It seems to be more about vengeance than it is about justice. I understand the visceral reaction to a person who has committed a particularly heinous act, but I try to remove the raw emotion from the equation and consider the logic instead...If we as a society insist murder is wrong and immoral, how can we justify state-sponsored murder?

I do want offenders punished of course, and I believe hard time should be just that. I am fine with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which I believe protects society as best it can. This is far from perfect, but no perfect system of justice exists in this earthly life.

My two cents.
You're asking a question > ("If we as a society insist murder is wrong and immoral, how can we justify state-sponsored murder?"), that was answered 13 times, in 10 posts in this thread (Post #s 3-12).
 

Zam-Zam

Senator
You're asking a question > ("If we as a society insist murder is wrong and immoral, how can we justify state-sponsored murder?"), that was answered 13 times, in 10 posts in this thread (Post #s 3-12).

It was rhetorical.

I believe the answer is self-evident, and to the contrary.
 
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