https://www.lawdork.com/p/doj-death-penalty-intent-buffalo-shooting
NAACP LDF head Janai Nelson says the civil rights legal organization is "dismayed" at DOJ's decision, suggesting it lacks "leadership."
The weird thing about this case is that he's already been convicted on State charges, and is already serving life without parole. He isn't getting out. So why are the Feds even moving forward with this? He's no longer a danger to the public.
I suppose there's a tiny chance that he gets his convictions overturned on appeal, so the Feds might want to pile their charges on top to be super sure. But it seems excessive to ask for the Death Penalty on top of it all.
I suppose if nothing else, it shows that the Justice Department is making decisions independently of the White House, as it should.
it shows that the Justice Department is making decisions independently of the White House, as it should.
That is exactly my take as well. Glad to see it was already said.
I suppose if nothing else, it shows that the Justice Department is making decisions independently of the White House, as it should.
So do you think Biden didn't understand how the federal government worked when he made this campaign pledge or do you think he knowingly lied to voters about being able to do something he couldn't?
I think he had multiple priorities when deciding to name Merrick Garland as AG. Its obvious that Garland doesn't have the same ideas about the Death Penalty that Biden has, yet he named him anyway. Is that breaking a campaign promise?
do you think he knowingly lied to voters
He's been known to do that a lot even by politician standards, yeah.
It's a dog and pony show by DOJ trying to pretend like they're not completely subservient to the Republican Mob.
The death penalty is not about justice or making a punishment fitting for the crime. Its not about removing undesirables from society. On an ethical level the ONLY valid reason for the death penalty is to execute a criminal who could not possibly be safely confined in any other way. That's it, and any use that doesn't fit that case is little more justified than a state sponsored hanging.
Why should we keep a killer alive on tax dollars?
I pay taxes to help people that deserve it, not keep killers alive (as slaves in these private prisons for private profit or) in public prisons with three square meals and a free education.
Y'all wanna bitch about the death penalty on killers that deserve it instead of focus on the reality of homelessness and cost of living?
What the fuck
But the death penalty is well established to be significantly more expensive than life. It's not like we immediately take them out back and shoot them in the head.
It's expensive because of the means of execution (and investigation to determine qualifying fault) and we should be applying the required amount of investigation time FOR ALL CRIMES that put people behind bars, not JUST people sentenced to death.
I'd rather spend the money to insure someone actually deserves to die or be in prison rather than have questions AT ALL surrounding the potential of an innocent person being sent to prison or executed.
The amount of innocent people in prison is ludicrous and the amount of people in prison for completely asinine and incompetent laws is beyond ridiculous.
Death sentences are expensive because of all the automatic appeals and other legal shit that happens. The means of execution is a pittance compared to legal and court fees.
You're all over the place. Your first post was complaining about money being spent on a housing a prisoner for life and death would be cheaper. Now you're arguing that every investigation (presumably that results in jail time) should have the same level of rigor (and high cost) as death penalty cases.
So which is it? Are you willing to spend whatever is necessary to seek justice while also allowing for every avenue for the innocent or are you arguing for the lowest cost law enforcement penalty to save tax dollars?
I feel you, I'm pro death penalty for shit like this, rapists, and pedos as well. Unfortunately with how broken our system is in the US, somehow the death penalty costs more than just keeping them alive on a life sentence. Unlimited appeals drawing out the court process, which costs money to have everyone involved there. If it were as simple as just taking them out back and blasting them, sure, but that's not what we've put in place
So you're perfectly fine with the government fast-tracking death penalty investigations which will lead to innocent people being killed by the state just to save a buck and satisfy your fucked up, over emotional sense of justice?
Not at all, but it's cute that you tried to project that shit opinion onto me. I think murderers, rapists, and pedophiles are a waste of air and resources and need to be put down like a rabid dog. I don't agree with putting your trust into a government authority to make that call. I understand that not every case is going to be open/shut and that human error exists and people like to lie about things. I don't have an answer for a perfect solution to remove those types of people from society. Some people can't be rehabilitated and the loss needs to be cut before it impacts anyone else. Our current system is fucked entirely. Cops are fucked, politicians are fucked, and now we have people advocating for rapists, murders, and pedophiles as if they're capable of being human. I'm not calling for the death penalty for stealing or public disturbance. I'm specifically saying for those three things, murder, rape, and the abuse of children, should be punishable by death. You seem to disagree with that and would prefer that those types of people continue living and breathing our air. What a shame.
Agreed.
More money to investigations and less money to pretend humane ways to kill people. The only humane way to kill someone is a shot to the cerebellum, any other way is just a way to make the assholes killing someone and those watching feel better about themselves, it doesn't positively impact those being executed at all.
Even the "most humane" lethal injection is one of the worst ways to kill someone that I know of, and after several years in the military I would choose the actually humane option of a bullet over ANY dipshit politicians push for their incompetent and clearly inhumane suggestions that exist purely to profit chemical corporations.
The problem, as has become crystal clear over the past few decades is that our police force demonstrably cannot be trusted to solve crimes correctly.
In fact, they will often knowingly lie to gain a conviction of an innocent person.
When that is clearly, obviously happening and being documented, applying the death penalty isn't moral - the state is failing in its responsibility.
Problem is, we can't currently trust the people that are making those decisions. Cops, courts, and politicians have proven time and time again that they can't be trusted. The other thing I'd like to touch on, why would it need to be humane? It's a punishment, a deterrent. It should be reserved for the worst crimes imaginable, and it should be scary and awful to go through. Let them starve, deprive them of oxygen, drown them, light them on fire, let the victims/survivors go at the perpetrator with a clawed hammer. Punishments are meant to be awful, it's to keep people from doing it in the first place.