Comments on: Breaking: Schwarzenegger Denies Clemency for Stanley Williams

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By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 02:44:41 +0000

Mark, you’re missing the point, just look at what I said now how I said it. The death penalty does not detter murder. Choose to believe your fantasies that is does, but you’ll be wrong.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 04:30:09 +0000

Tom, you almost had me convinced…just a few more words in all caps and a dozen more exclamation points, and maybe this barbarian would have flipped…

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 03:58:56 +0000

THE DEATH PENATLY DOESN’T DETTER MURDER YOU IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!

IT’S A CONFIRMED FACT! THE STATES THAT HAVE THE DP DO NOT HAVE ANY LOWER MURDER RATES THEN THE STATES WITHOUT IT!!!!

Also, you Texan barbarians would like to think killing someone and have their family grieve is “justice”, to which I say, you are tragically wrong

By: Melissa in Texas

Melissa in Texas — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 01:20:51 +0000

One thing you can say about the death penalty being a deterrent,
Tookie, will never kill anyone again.
Arnold had it right.
There was no evidence supporting clemency, as there was no remorse.
I watched Fox News this morning as the execution took place.
All the wailing and gnashing of teeth in the crowd…
Where were these folks when the four innocent people were murdered back in 79? Looking at some of the faces in the crowd, I would say that many were either in diapers or had not yet been born!

By: Clint

Clint — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 21:48:51 +0000

Peter-

I’d agree with your general principle, and I think it is generally how things work — clemency either for the reasons you describe, or because of substantial evidence of actual innocence (which most appeals don’t address) though politics does sometimes intrude (in both directions).

By: peter

peter — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 19:01:18 +0000

Clint: no argument — I don’t know the specifics of the Wilson case, and I’m unfamiliar with Cory Maye — as a matter of principle, if there is someone who has genuinely rehabilitated and also performed substantial acts which have had tangible benefits for the community, I think a commutation can be justified — whether of not Wilson fits these parameters is something I do not know –

By: Clint

Clint — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 17:54:19 +0000

Link didn’t work: here‘s the link.

(Something screwy with the “comments live preview”… it shows as though there’s an unclosed quotation mark when there isn’t, and shows correctly when there is…)

By: Clint

Clint — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 17:52:13 +0000

Peter-

In this case, we’re not talking about a guy who was rehabilitated. We’re talking about a brutal, unrepentant murderer who founded a major gang which has been responsible for countless other brutal murders.

If you want a case that will bring a solid majority of conservatives into the pro-clemency camp… check out Cory Maye, recently sentenced to death in Mississippi. He had no previous criminal record; his home was invaded in the middle of the night (door literally broken down) by armed men; he retreated to his infant daughter’s bedroom, and shot one of the invaders when they came in after him. It turned out that the armed men were undercover police, executing a no-knock warrant (perhaps having cried “police” before entering, while he was still asleep) that was intended for the apartment next door. Cory Maye is black; the cop he shot and killed was white, and the son of the police chief; Cory Maye was sentenced to death. There are also significant questions about the adequacy of both his trial attorney and the one handling his appeals.

Just to relate this back to Decision ’08, the governor of Mississippi is Haley Barbour. Does anyone know whether a governor actually has to wait until all appeals are exhausted before he issues a pardon?

By: peter

peter — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 03:42:44 +0000

Well, as I mentioned, I’m unfamiliar with the details of the case, but my (limited) understanding is that in addition to improving his own life, he improved the lives of others in a meaningful way. The inference is that society would be better with him alive (continuing to benefit others) than if he were dead. And if that is the case, why execute him?

True, rehabilitation is not the goal of the death penalty — but perhaps in this case, the death penalty was the wrong decision and life in prison would have been wiser.

I agree with you that there is no equivalence between abortion and the death penalty — however, you may recall that in the aftermath of the Terri Schiavo episode, none other than Rick Santorum expressed doubts about the morality of capital punishment…