Majority want death penalty if Boston suspect is convicted

[DonViejo]

Most Americans also back the decision to give Dzhokhar Tsarnaev a civilian trial

BY JILLIAN RAYFIELD

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll finds that the majority of Americans want Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to get the death penalty if he is convicted of the bombings in Boston, by a margin of 70-24 percent.

The poll also finds that most of those surveyed agreed with the decision to try Tsarnaev in the federal court system, as opposed to a military tribunal, by a margin of 74-19 percent.

From the Post:

Majority support for the federal approach crosses party lines, with 80 percent of Democrats, 73 percent of independents and 72 percent of Republicans saying they back a civilian trial. However, Democrats are by far the most apt to support it “strongly.” Democrats are also the least likely to strongly support the use of the death penalty, although most of them do support it, at least somewhat.

The bigger divide on the death penalty is between whites and African Americans. While 75 percent of whites say they would back the use of the death penalty were Tsarnaev convicted, the support among African Americans barely goes past the midpoint: 52 percent of African Americans would support the death penalty, and 43 percent would oppose it.

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http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/majority_want_death_penalty_if_boston_suspect_is_convicted/

[Marrah_G]

1. I wonder what the poll would say if it was just people from MA

We don't have the death penalty here, but I'm curious to know what portion of residents here would want him put to death.

[Little Star]

4. I'd vote LWOP. No death penalty for me.

[Marrah_G]

5. As would I

[Auggie]

6. Same here

[leftynyc]

19. Same

But I'm hoping he pleads out to that (in exchange for no death penalty) to spare Boston the cost and psychological toll of a trial.

[arely staircase]

24. i am sure that will be decided by a mass. jury, in federal court where the death penalty

does exist. so polls are meaningless, and should be. if a mass. jury gives him the dp, so be it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. That is nice. I suspect he will get life

Good lawyer and he plays along, the Feds tend to respect state status. MA does not have a death penalty

[arely staircase]

25. i bet feds ask for the dp

and chances are better than not they get it imho.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. I don't want it for him

No need to make him a Freedom Fighter Martyr for some sick twist who needs a 'mission' in their miserable life. Let him sit in a cell for the rest of his natural life.

[Rise Rebel Resist]

13. I read somewhere that the media plays a large part

in making a martyr, through wall to wall coverage. interesting thought

[graham4anything]

7. To the max, whatever charged with. (Zimmy too in Florida).

[onehandle]

8. That would just make him a martyr, like McVeigh is to some gun culturists. nt

[flamingdem]

9. He's not getting the death penalty imo

His lawyer got Loughner off and will pull off the same with this guy. She's the best.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. Friedrich Nietzsche

[Cali_Democrat]

20. +1000

[Bake]

11. Life with no chance of parole -- EVER.

Let him rot in prison. No need to execute him, give him plenty of time to think about what he did.

Bake

[MrScorpio]

12. No surprise there

The people of this country ARE a vindictive bunch.

[arely staircase]

26. as the little monster will soon learn eom

[MadHound]

14. The state should not murder anybody, ever.

Life without parole, I have no problem with that. But no state sanctioned murder.

[arely staircase]

27. he won't be murdered

but he will probably get he dp.

[MadHound]

29. State sanctioned murder is murder,

The death penalty is not a deterrent, it is not about justice, it is about vengeance, pure and simple.

[arely staircase]

30. i bet he gets it

and the jury that heard the evidence will not be charged with murder, because they won't have committed it. murder is a specific crime with elements the state must prove during the defendant's due process. and in the little bastard thrill killer's case those elements will be proven.

sit back and watch, and cry for him if you wish. but it is what it is.

[MadHound]

31. Oh, I have no doubt that he will get the death penalty,

It will be duly handed down in a court of law, fallibility thereof be damned, but that still does not mean that it is just or moral. Justice and morality are separate entities from the law, one can follow the letter of the law and still be just or moral.

Will I cry for him, no. But neither can I condone murder performed by the state.

[snooper2]

15. I say drop him in the middle of Afghanistan

Give him two gallons of water and a snickers and see if his "brethren" take him in....

[one_voice]

28. Huh, intersting..

didn't think about that.

[LeftInTX]

17. I'm against the death penalty in this case

I wonder if over time opinions will change?

ETA: I was also against the death penalty for McVeigh, for what it's worth. However, McVeigh was more diabolical and I can see why a jury would vote for death.

[HappyMe]

18. Let him rot in prison.

No parole EVER.

[GeorgeGist]

21. If convicted ...

I'd let him choose.

[smirkymonkey]

22. This Bostonian is not in favor of the death penalty for this crime.

Life in prison without parole, yes. DP, no.

[TransitJohn]

23. The tyrrany of the majority is still mob rule

The death penalty is highly immoral. Civilized peoples should not kill, not even in their name. 'Conservatives' should also be highly hesitant to bequeath governments the power to take life.

[MrSlayer]

32. Of course, it's a natural reaction.

People are pissed off and want justice. Particularly for the child killed.

I'm generally in favor of capital punishmement but reading up on these supermax prisons makes me pause. The 23 hour solitary is a much harsher penalty than simply killing him. And not because he can "reflect on what he did" because that's horseshit, these people don't give a fuck about their victims.

No human contact is pretty much torture. One slowly, gradually goes insane when held in solitary for long periods of time. Maybe that is the correct punishment for assholes like this.

I haven't decided yet.

[Kalidurga]

33. Death is easy

life is hard. I don't have a problem with him rotting in jail for the next 50-60 years or longer.

[Humus breath]

34. Death penalty

How about the death penalty for corporate capitalist pigs that kill millions by poisoning our air and water?