me too....except....

Current Events » in reply to Personally, I'm not opposed to the concept of capital punishment...

me too....except....

azstrummer — 9/18/2006 8:59:24 PM (archived)

I think what the conservatives fail to see in granting the power of death and torture to their government is that it is always possible for the extremes of either political persuasion to take control in the future. That same power they wish to grant to an administration in tune with their own philosophy would fall to their political opposites should the fickle sands of public opinion change.

I, like you, do not support the death penalty as it's currently implemented but I believe an easy fix would prevent its abuse. Simply raise the bar for capital punishment to an incredibly high standard. Reasonable doubt is absurd for a punishment with no take back. What amounts for capital cases today should automatically default to life in prison without parole for their harshest punishment. If a prosecutor wants to go beyond that, a new trial phase must be conducted that takes the proof burden considerably further. The other benefit to this would be the appeals process could be reduced considerably for these additional burden cases.

Additional burden components could include multiple eyewitness accounts verified by video tape, dna proof, confessions where there is no chance for coersion with corroborating evidence. Any lab results would have to undergo redundant verifications. A case built solely on circumstantial evidence would not be considered.

Art

The whole thread (46 posts)

Real torture - Tom Brosz - 9/17/2006 4:22:53 AM
- Let's stamp it out. Maybe if we can catch a few of them and torture them... - alcaray - 9/18/2006 10:23:37 PM
  - George's "war" has stirred up generations of hate - Lindy - 9/19/2006 2:49:00 PM
- If all the US was doing was "making someone stand in an uncomfortable position" there wouldnt be a problem, or a discussion. (n/t) - Tony - 9/18/2006 3:49:27 PM
  - List of CIA techniques - Tom Brosz - 9/19/2006 1:29:13 AM
  - I actually agree with you on this. - REB - 9/18/2006 4:17:52 PM
- Whatever are you talking about? - David F Mayer - 9/18/2006 12:25:01 PM
- Sigh. Here we go again. - Bowser - 9/18/2006 5:00:21 AM
- re: Capital Punishment 25 years ago - Raoul - 9/17/2006 8:10:54 PM
  - How's the crime rate over that time? (n/t) - Tom Brosz - 9/17/2006 9:29:55 PM
    - re: From here - Raoul - 9/17/2006 10:09:31 PM
      - re: From here - Tom Brosz - 9/18/2006 12:20:21 AM
        
        statistics won't save you on this issue - FrankC - 9/18/2006 6:05:33 PM
        
        re: statistics won't save you on this issue - REB - 9/18/2006 6:17:03 PM
        
        If we can put a man on the moon.... - FrankC - 9/18/2006 8:05:11 PM
        
        Yeah, it's called death. - Lee - 9/19/2006 2:42:09 AM
        
        re: From here - Laurie Street - 9/18/2006 4:07:52 AM
        
        PS - Laurie Street - 9/18/2006 4:10:15 AM
        
        Actually, I was talking about France. - Tom Brosz - 9/18/2006 4:21:58 AM
        
        Sorry to interject a data point that doesn't fit your curve - Laurie Street - 9/18/2006 5:37:26 AM
        
        Personally, I'm not opposed to the concept of capital punishment... - ER - 9/18/2006 7:26:42 PM
        
        If you are old fashioned, does that make you a conservative? - Publius - 9/19/2006 3:25:24 PM
        
        I'm not quite sure what you're getting at, Mr P. - ER - 9/19/2006 5:47:17 PM
        
        Not discussing legal issues, philosophy, or morality... - Publius - 9/19/2006 7:37:27 PM
        
        Azstrummer, below, makes some good points... (n/t) - ER - 9/19/2006 9:59:52 PM
        
        me too....except.... - azstrummer - 9/18/2006 8:59:24 PM
        
        When I was in high school... - alcaray - 9/18/2006 9:19:31 PM
        
        Would you be willing to take that to the logical conclusion? - Lee - 9/19/2006 2:51:37 AM
        
        I think he does it to get a rise out of us - Lindy - 9/20/2006 1:57:44 AM
        
        Perhaps the solution is to reserve capital punishment for corporate crime. (n/t) - ER - 9/20/2006 11:04:29 AM
        
        So why the protest? - Lee - 9/20/2006 5:35:53 AM
        
        Sure, Lee - most murders are committed by males, so... - Laurie Street - 9/19/2006 4:28:06 PM
        
        Well he asked to be shown - Lee - 9/19/2006 7:14:58 PM
        
        Is that what that was about? - alcaray - 9/19/2006 8:43:24 PM
        
        Can't imagine a mind that would think that was the next logical conclusion. Charlie Manson, is that you? (n/t) - alcaray - 9/19/2006 3:36:29 PM
- Indeed it is horrific - Lindy - 9/17/2006 5:29:31 PM
- re: Real torture - azstrummer - 9/17/2006 5:23:24 PM
  - NA attrocities - FrankC - 9/17/2006 6:08:02 PM
    - re: NA attrocities - azstrummer - 9/18/2006 5:29:53 PM
  - History - Tom Brosz - 9/17/2006 6:00:58 PM
    - Definition of torture - Laurie Street - 9/18/2006 5:51:49 AM
- We should look to North Korea to set moral standards? (n/t) - Robert - 9/17/2006 5:10:29 PM
  - Saw that coming ten miles away. - Tom Brosz - 9/17/2006 5:55:54 PM
    - I was counting on it. - Robert - 9/17/2006 8:21:45 PM
      - re: Redux - Tom Brosz - 9/17/2006 9:23:26 PM
        
        re: Redux - Laurie Street - 9/18/2006 5:42:01 AM

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