Utah to Use Firing Squads in Upcoming Executions

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Utah will execute three inmates by firing squad for the first time since the method was reinstated in 2015 by Gov. Gary Herbert.

The three condemned, Taberon Dave Honie, Troy Michael Kell, and Ralph Leroy Menzies, all opted for the firing squad instead of the more traditional lethal injection of sodium thiopental and potassium chloride. They are all guilty of murder, with Honie also guilty of raping his ex-girlfriend’s mother in front of her grandchildren. Their execution dates have not yet been set.

Utah’s reintroduction of the firing squad comes in the middle of a national debate over the death penalty. The method was brought back in part because of a nationwide shortage of lethal injection drugs after several companies said they would stop selling them to states using them for capital punishment.

Earlier this month, Arkansas pledged to execute eight of its inmates on death row before a sedative it uses for executions expires. As of Friday, four have been killed.

In March, the Utah Department of Corrections released part of its technical manual for the execution process.  In it, the state outlines how individuals who volunteer to be in the firing squad must first complete three rehearsals, be licensed law enforcement officers and pass a firearms proficiency test.


https://heatst.com/politics/utah-to-use-firing-squads-in-upcoming-executions/

Seems the old fashioned ways may be the best.

[Suppressed]

LOL on the graphic!

Only LEOs allowed? No volunteers from the audience? Shucks.

[Oceander]

I'm surprised this would be allowed to happen, volunteering notwithstanding. 

[Cyber Liberty]

I'm surprised this would be allowed to happen, volunteering notwithstanding.

Hasn't happened yet, I notice.  I'm with you, I expect this will be halted before it's carried out. 

[GtHawk]

I want to see a reciprocal death, death penalty. We might actually see some benefit of deterrence returned to the death penalty if people knew you were gonna be executed in the same manner that the murder was committed. It's not so much of a deterrent when it takes decades and the death is relatively painless, screw civilized, make the death penalty scary as hell!

[Cyber Liberty]

I want to see a reciprocal death, death penalty. We might actually see some benefit of deterrence returned to the death penalty if people knew you were gonna be executed in the same manner that the murder was committed. It's not so much of a deterrent when it takes decades and the death is relatively painless, screw civilized, make the death penalty scary as hell!

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

[Frank Cannon]

They are all guilty of murder, with Honie also guilty of raping his ex-girlfriend’s mother in front of her grandchildren.

Too bad you can't kill this rotten son of a bitch twice.

[EC]

They are all guilty of murder, with Honie also guilty of raping his ex-girlfriend’s mother in front of her grandchildren.

Too bad you can't kill this rotten son of a bitch twice.

We can.

Use all blanks for the first attempt.

[Cyber Liberty]

We can.

Use all blanks for the first attempt.

I'd hate to be the poor guy responsible for cleaning up the mess that would make in the condemned's pants, but other than that I think that would be an awesome idea.

[Gefn]

Bring back the guillotine.

I guarantee that would stop the murder rate, on death row.

Do we still use old sparky?

[Bigun]

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

I agree but note that the "people" who earn the death penalty are not constrained by that constitutional prohibition.

[Bigun]

I want to see a reciprocal death, death penalty. We might actually see some benefit of deterrence returned to the death penalty if people knew you were gonna be executed in the same manner that the murder was committed. It's not so much of a deterrent when it takes decades and the death is relatively painless, screw civilized, make the death penalty scary as hell!

I would favor the old Apache law.  Just turn them over to the family of the victims and walk away.

[EC]

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

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.

[Oceander]

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?

[EC]

If they're innocent, you apply exactly the same penalty the those who got his conviction. Gives a little accountability.

[Oceander]

If they're innocent, you apply exactly the same penalty the those who got his conviction. Gives a little accountability.

So the jury gets the firing squad as well because they made a mistake?

[EC]

Nope. They watch. Both times.

[Oceander]

Nope. They watch. Both times.

They were the ones who convicted an innocent person, so by your statement they should get the same treatment.

[truth_seeker]

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?

Apparently you wish to change the subject from method of execution, to the death penalty itself.

Most would argue that after arrest, modern scientific evidence, witnesses, lawyers, judges, juries, appeals galore, DNA and more, we get the right guy/gal.

And the standard is "beyond a reasonable doubt," not preponderance of evidence.

So if you electrocute them, drug them, hang them or shoot them, the result is the same.

And it is used only very rarely for the most heinous of crimes.

[Wingnut]

Neck stretching is still a far better spectator sport.  Firing squads are okay... but nothing like seeing those boots knocking as they twist in the wind and the smell of soiled pants. Both the recently departed and a few of the witnesses!... Another plus is The kids love it too.  No Gun shots to scare em.

[Oceander]

Apparently you wish to change the subject from method of execution, to the death penalty itself.

Most would argue that after arrest, modern scientific evidence, witnesses, lawyers, judges, juries, appeals galore, DNA and more, we get the right guy/gal.

And the standard is "beyond a reasonable doubt," not preponderance of evidence.

So if you electrocute them, drug them, hang them or shoot them, the result is the same.

And it is used only very rarely for the most heinous of crimes.

I don't know why I'm still amazed everytime you post without reading what you think you're responding to.  First, the issue of quick and brutal executions was already raised by others and was in fact the current topic. 

Second, false convictions happen all the time, including in death penalty cases, and all it takes for my purposes is one false conviction.  You can blather on about levels of proof and etc, but it comes down to this:  execute a wrongly convicted person and you have sanctimoniously killed an innocent human being.  That is not a mistake that can be fixed.  Wrongful imprisonment can be compensated for, wrongful killing cannot. 

Pontius Pilate's hands were stained, despite his most concerted efforts to wash them clean. 

[Cyber Liberty]

Bring back the guillotine.

I guarantee that would stop the murder rate, on death row.

Do we still use old sparky?

Four states still use it, but they all offer the alternative of lethal injection.  Nobody has chose the Chair over the Needle.  Other states still have the chair available as a fall-back plan if the lethal injection becomes impossible, as some anti death penalty activists are attempting.  It will be ironic if the activists force states to return to the Chair, no?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_chair

I suppose the Gas Chamber is in the same situation.  On a somewhat related note, I read that some states are experimenting with using Nitrogen as a method.  The idea is to purge the oxygen from a gas chamber, replacing it with pure Nitrogen, thus asphyxiating the condemned.  I don't think it's going well.

[bigheadfred]

I don't know why I'm still amazed everytime you post without reading what you think you're responding to.  First, the issue of quick and brutal executions was already raised by others and was in fact the current topic. 

Second, false convictions happen all the time, including in death penalty cases, and all it takes for my purposes is one false conviction.  You can blather on about levels of proof and etc, but it comes down to this:  execute a wrongly convicted person and you have sanctimoniously killed an innocent human being.  That is not a mistake that can be fixed.  Wrongful imprisonment can be compensated for, wrongful killing cannot. 

Pontius Pilate's hands were stained, despite his most concerted efforts to wash them clean.

There was a guy released here after doing 20 years. He didn't get the death penalty. They got a "confession" from him after 72 hours of continuous interrogation. They broke him. He told me all about it. My point being juries will do the convenient thing. The cops who forced the confession, and the prosecutors who forced the trial should all do 20 fking years. DNA exonerated him.

[EC]

They were the ones who convicted an innocent person, so by your statement they should get the same treatment.

No. They were the ones listening to the evidence provided by the prosecutor and the defence. The ones presenting the evidence, should it be weak or false, should pay.

[Cyber Liberty]

No. They were the ones listening to the evidence provided by the prosecutor and the defence. The ones presenting the evidence, should it be weak or false, should pay.

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.