Last Night Steve Smith Was Executed In Ohio.

[cali]

and although I am against the dp in all cases, including this one, I was glad of his departure from this planet.

— A man convicted of killing a 6-month-old as he raped her was executed Wednesday despite his arguments that he never meant to hurt her.

Steve Smith, 46, was executed by lethal injection for the September 1998 killing of his live-in girlfriend’s daughter, Autumn Carter, in Mansfield in northern Ohio.

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ohio-man-set-to-be-executed-in-1998-killing-of-baby-girl-who-was-raped/2013/05/01/de30cf46-b22b-11e2-9fb1-62de9581c946_story.html

[aikoaiko]

1. For cases like that, I am for the DP.

Certainty of agency + heinous crime + no compelling mitigating circumstances = death penalty

[Katashi_itto]

2. Agree

[HappyMe]

4. I completely agree.

[Logical]

9. "Certainty", LOL and totally stupid statement.....

So if the jury is Super Duper 100% sure he did it then you are ok?

Wow, you think the jury says "we'll, I am not sure but death still sounds ok"

Maybe one of the worst logic I have ever seem!

Read about the innocence project and get back to me!

[aikoaiko]

11. In general the standard is less than certainty for conviction and sentencing in capital cases.

But it could be.

Yes, I think juries convict even when their is some doubt.

[Logical]

12. You trust the criminal justice system WAY too much. Read more! n-t

[hfojvt]

16. I am not gonna look up the quote

but in Joseph Heller's "Picture This" he writes of the Socrates trial that something like 73 of 90 found Socrates guilty and 77 of 90 voted to sentence him to death, and thus 4 people voted to put him to death for a crime they did not think he committed.

But certainty could mean that the big black guy was found weeping over the dead girl and said "I tried to take it back, but it was too late." (from the movie "The Green Mile&quot

But presumably there are cases when you can be more certain than others. For example, if you capture the shooter at Newtown with the gun in his hands, then you can be pretty sure you have the right guy.

[Logical]

18. But how do you pass a "certain" law? A board decides? n-t

[premium]

3. This monster was wasting oxygen with every breath he took.

Generally, I'm against the DP except in the most extreme cases, and this would qualify, IMO, as the most exteme case.

Good fucking riddance to this monster.

[Nye Bevan]

5. Weird. You accused me of advocating "cruel and unusual punishment"

when I called for life without parole for the Boston bomber.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2739237

At least I am consistent in that I oppose the death penalty in all circumstances.

[Fumesucker]

7. Forget it Jake, it's cali

[cali]

14. not at all weird. Unless, as YOU do, you have a problem reading a simple

sentence. Go back to my op and read, honey. I state quite clearly that I oppose it all the time including in this case.

[Nye Bevan]

17. Cali, the "honey" thing is getting kind of old.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cali+honey&sitesearch=democraticunderground.com

[cali]

15. You could not be more disingenuous:

Here's the post you're linking to:

cruel and unusual punishment. clearly illustrated by the psych study

I just can't get behind it as a concept.

It's in reference to supermax prisons.

wow. what an "accusation"

Honesty. try it.

[Bake]

6. How much did this waste of human flesh cost the state to execute?

He could have -- indeed, should have -- been rotting in prison for the rest of his miserable life. I have no sympathy for him, but I **am** opposed to the DP for a number of reasons. This monster rotting in jail wouldn't have bothered me in the least.

I won't mourn him, though.

Bake

[RZM]

10. Probably a lot

Then again, housing somebody for many decades in prison isn't cheap either.

There are probably studies on this. How much is spent executing vs. housing in prison for 40 years?

[progressoid]

13. There have been numerous studies done.

As odd as it may seem, in our legal system it is more expensive to execute someone.

[Bake]

19. That has been proven true.

Becuase of the numerous appeals, and most defendants having public defenders, the cost to litigate/prosecute all the way to execution far outstrips the cost to feed and house the defendant for life.

Bake

[Orsino]

21. We curse the right wing for putting a price on human life...

...so it's sad that we think that a cost-benefit analysis is going to be the most persuasive argument.

But the by-definition irrevocability and demonstrable fallibility aren't swaying legislatures, much less the moral quandary.

[Cirque du So-What]

8. Despite the horrific nature of this crime, I remain opposed to capital punishment

However, in this case, the only reason I can cite for my opposition is the cost of enforcing the death penalty vs. life in prison. If (and this is a BIG 'if') there were ever a justified execution, this comes close to it AFAIC.

[one_voice]

20. Such a horrific crime, I cannot fathom such

evil. He should have rotted in jail.

This is when you say (if you believe in a higher being) dear God, if someone has to die today, may I make a suggestion.