Death Row Saturday

Death sentence tossed out over Bible:

A judge in Colorado threw out a death sentence because some jurors looked to the Bible for guidance. Specifically Romans 13:1 which says “let every soul be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except from God.” Meaning that the jurors should follow the instruction of the court and that this kind of conviction warranted the death penalty. But now some scumbag may be spared the needle because some lawyer convinced a judge that this violated the separation of church and state. Check out what the guy was convicted of.

Judge John Vigil ordered a new sentencing hearing for Robert Harlan, who was convicted in 1995 of kidnapping, raping and murdering Rhonda Maloney, 25. He also shot a passer-by who tried to help, leaving her paralyzed.

If anyone sounded like they deserved the death penalty it’s that guy. Now my question is would they have thrown out the sentence if jurors read the Koran or some other religious text. Just wondering.

Illinois lawmakers pass death penalty reforms:

This coming from the state where the ex-governor commuted over 100 death sentences because he felt the system was “flawed”. Check out what the bill entails.

The measure makes it easier for murder defendants to get evidence that could help them in their trials, allows judges to second-guess jury death sentences and lets the Supreme Court set aside sentences it deems unjust.

That’s just great. Let’s make things easier on the criminals why don’t we? It’s too bad that no one in the Illinois legislature is speaking out on behalf of the victims.

Judge orders reforms on Mississippi’s death row:

So the conditions in Mississippi’s death row were so bad that the inmates were becoming insane. What do you mean by “becoming”? Aren’t they already on death row because they did something that most sane people wouldn’t? Boo-freakin’ hoo. Tell me again why I’m supposed to care.

Utah prepares for 2 firing-squad executions in June:

Now here’s a state that knows how to empty death row the right way. As usual, there are groups protesting the firing squad saying it’s cruel and unusual punishment. Let’s take a look at the scorecard shall we?

In 1992, Arguelles abducted and strangled Margo Bond, a janitor at a junior high school where he had been hunting for teenage victims. He also kidnapped, sexually assaulted and killed two girls, ages 13 and 15, and stabbed a 16-year-old girl more than 40 times. He was sentenced to death in 1997. Arguelles has repeatedly said he wants to die.

Kell was convicted in 1996 of killing a black man, Lonnie Blackmon, at the Utah State Prison. Kell, serving time for a previous murder, stabbed Blackmon 67 times with a homemade knife in 1994. A prison videotape shows Kell shouting, “White power!” during the attack.

I guess what these scumbags did to their victims was fair and usual huh? I got an idea. Let’s let the victims families pick the means of execution. If the family says to feed them feet first into a wood chipper then we should respect their wishes.

But we have become so pussified as a nation that more than likely the only death sentence any of these guys will receive will be from old age.