Would You Support the Death Penalty If....

[Huayna Capac357]

There was no chance at all that the convicted person was innocent and it was only used in the most horrific cases- mass murder, certain sex crimes, particuly brutal murders involving rape/murder.

As an additional safeguard the majority of the victims immediate family (parents, children, siblings spouse) must request the DP as well. In the event of a tie the DP is turned into life imprisonment.

Essentially you go from guilty beyond reasonable doubt to guilty beyond any doubt for only certain types of crime where the victims family, not everyone with an opinion gets to have a say. It could also be used for political prisoners like Stalin or Hitler if they got captured alive

I would still not support the death penalty.

 

[Zardnaar]

It's kinda heartless to let the economy be the final clincher in deciding whether or not one should allow people to be killed, isn't it?

I'm sorry, I just don't think the economy should be a factor when we're talking about a person's life(almost sounds like I'm talking about universal health care ).

Ok it cost about 50K+ per year to incarcerate someone. Theres always a shortage of money for health or education or whatever. If someone is clearly guilty and execution took place within a month of sentence for each year saved you could perform X5 10K life saving surgery's or put several students through university.

If you object to the DP and you are immediate family you can ask for clemancy at sentencing and if enough people agree with you in your family the DP gets commuted to life in prison. In any event the DP would pnly be used in extreme circumstances. That guy who got shot the other day was clearly guilty for example and had killed multiple people. It wouldn't be used for as such for normal murder cases or in cases of guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Guilty beyond any doubt- some kiddie rapists film themselves, other criminals get caught in the act etc.

Would you support the death penalty if someone killed a member of your family? This has happened to one of my friends whose sister was murdered by a taxi driver. Wasn't a nice murder but he wouldn't get the DP in my system as he wasn't a multiple murderer and rape/torture wasn't involved.

 

[classical_hero]

I am a supporter of the death penalty already.

 

[Lone Wolf]

There was no chance at all that the convicted person was innocent and it was only used in the most horrific cases- mass murder, certain sex crimes, particuly brutal murders involving rape/murder.

"No chance at all" strikes me as undefinable in legal terms, therefore such a law would be definitely abused.

In principle, I don't subscribe to any argument against death penalty except the possibility of executing an innocent, though.

 

[_random_]

If these conditions were met and it was still economically cheaper to use the death penalty then I'd be fine with it.

If that were the case, I could see some merit, but it would rob the convict of a chance at repentance, and I don't think I'd be cool with that.

 

[civ_king]

Absolutely not, last time I checked premeditated murder is still a crime

The death penalty is unChristian and more importantly inhumane

 

[SpiritWolf]

I don't even understand how it would be ok to kill a human being who in that "dream scenario by the OP" was 100% guilty.


sorry to play the German card but I would have kept Hitler around had he not killed himself first. there is a reason he killed himself. being killed is easy, committing suicide is easy, especially when you no longer have control over your destiny or if it is the easier way out. sticking around and maybe one day, one can hope, realising you were wrong? that is going to, potentially, save so many more lives than simple revenge can get you.

G's law and all that, sorry.

Because any such person proven to be such a criminal does not deserve to be considered a human being. To kill off such a criminal is in no way equal to killing an innocent (it would be a good thing, for one), unless you hold the lives of such criminals in equal worth to the lives of innocents.

 

[Silurian]

Zardnaar @
I would support death penalty if the police would accept that one of the police would be executed in the event that it was latter found that the wrong person was executed.

The police could of of course veto the original death penalty.

 

[Tee Kay]

I would support death penalty if the police would accept that one of the police would be executed in the event that it was latter found that the wrong person was executed.

Punishing someone for the crimes of another? Right...

 

[Ekolite]

I support the death penalty already.

 

[Silurian]

Punishing someone for the crimes of another? Right...

If they are willing to put the wrong person forward to be executed, they could veto execution; then why should the chief of police not take responsibility.

 

[Ekolite]

Because excecuting policemen is a great way to catch criminals

 

[Tee Kay]

If they are willing to put the wrong person forward to be executed, they could veto execution; then why should the chief of police not take responsibility.

If the police knowingly executes an innocent man then yes they should be punished (not executed though - I'm against the death penalty even for corrupt police). But perhaps 95% of the time they were certain the culprit was guilty.

 

[Silurian]

Im sure the police would be against the death penalty too if they faced the death penalty.

 

[LightFang]

Punishing someone for the crimes of another? Right...

All Christians believe in penal substitution. I think we're all of two minds on this issue (atheists too!) I mean, we don't really think people should be punished for the crimes of another, but in the case of monetary fines, the distinction seems to get hazy for most.

 

[DaemonDD]

I believe being locked in for life is the worst sort of penalty, so I would rather support that. Death penalty seems too emotionless, and it solves nothing, even if his/her family-members support it.

 

[PiMan]

No, for the point of the judicial system and prison shouldn't be revenge or retribution, as in the case of the death penalty. The point should be rehabilitation.

I am not only against the death penalty, but I am against life without parole too. For a life without hope or freedom is no life at all.

 

[Arakhor]

All Christians believe in penal substitution. I think we're all of two minds on this issue (atheists too!)

I don't and I'm a Christian, as far as it goes. Then again, I am completely against all capital punishment in any form. When the state claims the moral authority to murder in the name of punishment, it has lost any respect as a moral authority at all.

 

[gangleri2001]

I'm a supporter of death penalty as long as the executed happens to be rich and I am his/her heir.

 

[PiMan]

I don't and I'm a Christian, as far as it goes. Then again, I am completely against all capital punishment in any form. When the state claims the moral authority to murder in the name of punishment, it has lost any respect as a moral authority at all.

I think LightFang was alluding to what is best summed up by the line "Jesus died for our sins". I could be wrong though.