Should James Holmes face the Death Penalty if found guilty?

[Skyrad 0]

Should the suspect for the Colorado mass murders James Holmes face the death penalty if found guilty of the shootings and murders?

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[quade 4]

Without question.

Death by firing squad if at all possible.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Skyrad 0]

Would that not be retribution?

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[quade 4]

Quote

Would that not be retribution?

Nope. Cost savings to tax payers. Look there is absolutely no way in hell this guy ever goes free -- ever.

This isn't somebody that gets "rehabilitated" or whatever, finds God or whatever and walks free. Just never going to happen.

Even if it takes 20 years to sift through appeals, eventually it's less expensive than locking him up for another...60?...years.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[billvon 3,063]

Doesn't really matter to me - as long as he's never released back into society.

[Skyrad 0]

Hmm.. Are you sure about that? I seem to recollect in another thread a argument that the DP was more expensive than life.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[jcd11235 0]

I'm opposed to the death penalty (with possible exceptions for combat theater military justice, since the mission is more important than the man), even for mass murderers. Life in prison serves society just as well.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[quade 4]

Quote

Hmm.. Are you sure about that? I seem to recollect in another thread a argument that the DP was more expensive than life.

I think it would depend on the otherwise normal life expectancy of the individual and exactly how locked down the guy will be in prison.

I think it's safe to say this kid would be more expensive to hold than the "average" murderer in prison.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[wmw999 2,517]

Quote

That's up to the laws of colorado.

And yes, studies have been done that life in prison is more cost effective than execution.

What he said.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[ChangoLanzao 0]

No. There is no justification for the death penalty in any case.

[quade 4]

The other thing about those studies is they're based on "average" murders where there's a question about the possibility they have the wrong guy and the number of appeals folks file just working through that.

I doubt that's going to be the case here.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Throttlebender 0]

How could that even remotely be true? I've read that depending on the state, facility, etc. that housing a prisoner costs tax payers "around" $45K annually.

I don't see how an execution would equate to even one year in prison, financially speaking.

Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

[AndyBoyd 0]

Quote

How could that even remotely be true? I've read that depending on the state, facility, etc. that housing a prisoner costs tax payers "around" $45K annually.

I don't see how an execution would equate to even one year in prison, financially speaking.

http://www.deathpenalty.org/article.php?id=42

The first line of the article: "The death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole because the Constitution requires a long and complex judicial process for capital cases. This process is needed in order to ensure that innocent men and woman are not executed for crimes they did not commit, and even with these protections the risk of executing an innocent person can not be completely eliminated."

[matthewcline 0]

Quote

How could that even remotely be true? I've read that depending on the state, facility, etc. that housing a prisoner costs tax payers "around" $45K annually.

I don't see how an execution would equate to even one year in prison, financially speaking.

I think you have to add all the transportation, and filings, etc, costs, and then times it by the time extended to execution, then i think the math works a little more in those who say so's favor.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[D22369 0]

My personal belief is that the penalty for any murder should be up to the victims families - not a judge, if the family decides to forgive them or take them apart with vice grips so be it.

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[format 1]

Somewhere, in this creature's brain, lies the truth.
It should be searched for, carefully, with shovels.

Dig

[Skyrad 0]

Quote

My personal belief is that the penalty for any murder should be up to the victims families - not a judge, if the family decides to forgive them or take them apart with vice grips so be it.

Roy

As happens in Sharia law.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

That's up to the laws of colorado.

And yes, studies have been done that life in prison is more cost effective than execution.

Yeah, when you factor in all the costs related to automatic appeals to the death sentence. It adds up in a hurry.

But in his case, deliberately planning this incident down to dotting the "i's" and crossing the "t's" and putting on as much protection as he could before going in there, yeah I'd volunteer to blow his brains out.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[pirana 0]

Quote

How could that even remotely be true? I've read that depending on the state, facility, etc. that housing a prisoner costs tax payers "around" $45K annually.

I don't see how an execution would equate to even one year in prison, financially speaking.

It's not the actual execution that is so expensive - it's all the legal wranglings leading up to it.

The laws should be overhauled so that clear cut, caught red handed BS like this gets the proper treatment.

There is no excuse to keep this person alive.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

Somewhere, in this creature's brain, lies the truth.
It should be searched for, carefully, with shovels.

Dig

I would like to do that, literally.

[riddler 0]

Quote

caught red handed BS like this gets the proper treatment.

One question is "are mentally incapacitated people subject to the same punishment as those that have full control of their mental facilities?" I think some of the initial reports state that the man told police he was "The Joker". If true, he may not be in full control.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[matthewcline 0]

Many news sources sight that, as well as saying he had died red hair.

ABC quoted his mother, she said they had the right guy, she knew in her gut he did it (paraphrased). So the signs might have been there and the family didn't act or he hid the signs and no one knew.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[jgoose71 0]

Quote

I'm opposed to the death penalty (with possible exceptions for combat theater military justice, since the mission is more important than the man), even for mass murderers. Life in prison serves society just as well.

So the death penalty only for people who choose to serve? Stay classy....

"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Life, the Universe, and Everything

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

So the death penalty only for people who choose to serve?

It has more to do with prioritizing the mission over an extended judicial process.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[quade 4]

Quote

I'm opposed to the death penalty (with possible exceptions for combat theater military justice, since the mission is more important than the man), even for mass murderers. Life in prison serves society just as well.

If it helps, think of this individual as a traitor to the human race.

I think the cops were pretty generous in not shooting him in the parking lot.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver