Let me preface the point that I am wholly in favor of the death penalty. There are just a few crimes that the only price that can be paid to society is death. Deb outlined a few of them above. I will only add that treason to the state in which lives were lost due to that treason is another, as clearly outlined in our constitution. I also believe that desertion during battle is another.
Having said that, there is a problem with the death penalty: It just costs too much. Mandatory appeals, judicial reviews, etc., draw the process out for too long a time. Having inmates sit on death row for years on end awaiting final judgment of these cases constitutes, in my humble opinion, cruel and unusual punishment. Our constitution requires that all justice be fair and speedy. This is not met in far too many cases.
I have no good solution to the issue, either.
Discuss away, folks. |