Colorado: I'm against the death penalty, but ...

[Cyrano]

This week, the jury in the Colorado theater killing trial is hearing from the families of the victims. Anyone sitting in that jury box and hearing those heart-breaking stories, would probably conclude: “Execute the fuck.”

I guess that an experience like this is the real test of one’s beliefs. I do not believe in the death penalty. Yet, if I were sitting in that jury box listening to the victim’s loved ones, would I say “Execute the fuck?”

So I have two questions:

1. Should victim’s family members be permitted to speak to the jury?

2. If you don’t believe in the death penalty, would the emotional experience of listening to family members make you decide for the death penalty?

I truly don’t know how this experience would affect my belief. From a distance, I think the killer is totally insane and I believe he should spend the rest of his life in a sanitarium. But I really don’t know what I’d do if heard the victim’s families.

What about you?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/04/victims-families-testify-as-prosecutors-launch-last-push-for-colorado-theater/

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. I oppose the death penalty in all cases...

We have executed innocent people.
We can not bring them back and say, I'm sorry.
Unless we come up with a perfect system, the death penalty must be abolished.

And, really, in this case, I bet the lawyers arranged for people opposed to the death penalty to not serve.

I think hearing this testimony would have shocked me to the core of my being, but I could not vote to put the man death.

[AllFieldsRequired]

2. No death penalty ever, no matter what.

[tularetom]

3. I'm not necessarily opposed to the death penalty per se

But I am opposed to the unbalanced manner in which it seems to be applied primarily against the poor. And I'm concerned that innocent people are executed more often than we have been led to believe.

However, in this case, I'm neutral on the DP. It would not bother me if they fried this asswipe, but at the same time, I oppose the prosecution trick of parading a bunch of family members of victims to emotionally bully the jury into voting to fry him.

If I were a jury member it would have the opposite effect on me. I'd vote against executing him.

[bigwillq]

4. Testimony from a family probably wouldn't sway me one way or another.

When a criminal has the potential to be sentenced to death, I would prefer they spend the rest of their life in prison, but if they are sentenced to death, I wouldn't lose sleep over it. I don't feel sorry for those sentenced to death. My only real issue with the DP is that I hope the system is 100 percent sure of that person's guilt.

[Cyrano]

5. So you're not against the death penalty, but you

just want to be 100% certain.

Given the way the death penalty has been applied in this country, minorities and the poor are the most likely to be sentenced to death. And this, among moral considerations, is why I am against the death penalty.

This case in Colorado seems to be a 100% slam dunk. But if this guy is actually insane, as many believe, should he be sentenced to death?

[bigwillq]

10. Kind of, sort of.

I prefer life in prison without the possibility of parole sentences over the DP.

But no tears or sympathy from me if one is sentenced to death.
And, yes, I hope they are 100 percent certain, which is why I favor life sentences over DP in case they are wrong.

But, anyway. To answer your question:

If this guy is actually insane then, NO, I don't think he should be sentenced to death. I think he should live out his days in jail or in a mental health facility.

[Orsino]

6. No death penalty, despite whatever Fox News links try to tell us.

I feel that the death penalty is just another way the ruling class hides its mistakes by making us complicit.

[NCTraveler]

7. 1) Yes. 2) No. nt.

[HereSince1628]

8. I'm opposed to DP and sentences without possibility of parole.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. But nothing. I'm never for the death penalty. Ever. Period. The End.

The death penalty will not offer the loved ones of the victims any real, long term closure. Nothing will bring back their loved ones. Nothing. When they come home after executing the murderer, they will still come home to an empty house and it's a pain they'll have to live with for the rest of their life.

So let's stop pretending that the death penalty offers any sense of closure or justice to the victims.