Utah to Use Firing Squads in Upcoming Executions

[Bigun]

Yup.  I was sort of surprised to see that specious argument (The Jury's at fault, maybe they should be executed) even raised.  My immediate thought was the same as yours.  The jury didn't frame the condemned, the prosecutors did.  As a practical matter, if we ever did start taking retribution on Juries the pool of jurors would dry up like a mud puddle in the hot Arizona sun.

All that said, we really need to get a lot rougher on Prosecutors (and cops) who frame innocent people deliberately.

IMHO we need to get a LOT tougher on ALL public officials that abuse their office.  All of them from dog catcher on up!

[Fishrrman]

Oceander wrote above:
"Second, false convictions happen all the time, including in death penalty cases, and all it takes for my purposes is one false conviction."

OK, I'll take ya up on that, in front of all the other members of this forum

Please document the last American execution of a person whom was later proven to be innocent of the crime of which he/she was convicted.

I'll be waitin' for yer answer!

[GtHawk]

General point of order - states are barred from using cruel and unusual punishment.

There is no bar whatsoever to using cruel OR unusual punishment. 

Firing squad with blanks makes sense to me. Guy gets convicted of multiple murders - each conviction gets the firing squad. Use blanks until you randomly use live ammo. Doesn't have to be the last shot - the randomness will give him a small taste of the fear and terror his victims had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwP3wes4M8

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Oceander wrote above:
"Second, false convictions happen all the time, including in death penalty cases, and all it takes for my purposes is one false conviction."

OK, I'll take ya up on that, in front of all the other members of this forum

Please document the last American execution of a person whom was later proven to be innocent of the crime of which he/she was convicted.

I'll be waitin' for yer answer!

And he certainly cannot document the countless lives saved due to the deterrent of using the death penalty either.

His is a losing cause.

[bigheadfred]

I ain't saying juries are off the hook. If you know what you are doing is wrong but don't have the fortitude to stand then what are you?

spit

[Applewood]

And just how would all y'all bloodthirsty sorts feel after a quickie gruesome execution when it turns out that the person just torn to bits was actually innocent?

I would rather have this than what we have in PA.  Here, death penalty =life in prison, maintained at the taxpayers' expense. 

This past week, the killer of a state trooper was sentenced to death.   He's in his 30s, I think.   Which means he could be living off the taxpayers for another 40 years at least. 

[Jazzhead]

That notion has a great deal of attraction.  Pity it will never happen because it would be cruel and unusual by design.

And it would be unConstitutional.    A quality of justice is that it be merciful.   A life for a life,  yes, so justice demands,  but there is to be no triumphalism or sadism to it.   The State is playing God,  it is a dispensation to be exercised with humility.   

[Cyber Liberty]

And it would be unConstitutional.    A quality of justice is that it be merciful.   A life for a life,  yes, so justice demands,  but there is to be no triumphalism or sadism to it.   The State is playing God,  it is a dispensation to be exercised with humility.   

Damned right it would be unconstitutional, as it should be (immoral as well).  It goes to the essence of "Retribution vs Revenge."   A humane execution is Retribution, killing in like manner would be Revenge.  We embrace the former and reject the latter.

Glad we can agree on something.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

And it would be unConstitutional.    A quality of justice is that it be merciful.   A life for a life,  yes, so justice demands,  but there is to be no triumphalism or sadism to it.   The State is playing God,  it is a dispensation to be exercised with humility.   

Yep, playing God is to exercise humility, like sucking out the brains of an innocent life prior to its opportunity to be born.  Wonder what the poor child was guilty of anyway?

[bigheadfred]

Yep, playing God is to exercise humility, like sucking out the brains of an innocent life prior to its opportunity to be born.  Wonder what the poor child was guilty of anyway?

Nother thread. Just sayin'.

[Jazzhead]

Damned right it would be unconstitutional, as it should be (immoral as well).  It goes to the essence of "Retribution vs Revenge."   A humane execution is Retribution, killing in like manner would be Revenge.  We embrace the former and reject the latter.

Glad we can agree on something.

 

[Cyber Liberty]

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Nother thread. Just sayin'.

Yeah, but those who condemn the lack of humanity in executions of those who have willfully killed others at the same time look the other way when an innocent is put to death.

There is a lot of hypocrisy there, especially when the more pious ones say things like "false executions" prohibit the usage of capital punishment. 

In 100% of abortion cases, the baby is not guilty.

[bigheadfred]

Yeah, but those who condemn the lack of humanity in executions of those who have willfully killed others at the same time look the other way when an innocent is put to death.

There is a lot of hypocrisy there, especially when the more pious ones say things like "false executions" prohibit the usage of capital punishment. 

In 100% of abortion cases, the baby is not guilty.

I agree with that.

[Smokin Joe]

That notion has a great deal of attraction.  Pity it will never happen because it would be cruel and unusual by design.

Certainly no more cruel than what they did to their victim(s), and only unusual because the practice is not commonplace.