Now Nach don’ty drag me into a humerous topical debate because I am like a moth with a light to these sort’s of conversations. Now please, lets remain serious and all straight faced while on this thread and I must state for the record that if you make me laught at such inappropriate, yet ery amusing, hypothetical wardens wishing all prisoners would go so willinging then I am going to file a civil case against you for willingly using childishly funny humour (which you know I can never resist) to tempt me into a similar response equally as sick and not funny to the other normal people. Last warning!

I’ve always wondered if some who were against execution saw their child being raped or tortured, etc., would they hesitate to shoot, hit the person over their head with a shovel (whatever) and kill the attacker if need be to prevent it from happening?

Do will feel the right to kill in self-defense?

Would you kill to protect your loved one from a mad-man?

A personal note. My daughter, Sabrina, was murdered on 24 February 2002. She was deliberately run over–not once, but twice–in full view of numerous witnesses. My daughter is in an urn; her killer, in prison for twelve more years. I’m seventy-four years old. If I live long enough I hope, in the worst way, to greet him on his release.

A personal note. My daughter, Sabrina, was murdered on 24 February 2002. She was deliberately run over–not once, but twice–in full view of numerous witnesses. My daughter is in an urn; her killer, in prison for twelve more years. I’m seventy-four years old. If I live long enough I hope, in the worst way, to greet him on his release.

I’m so sorry this happened to your daughter. I don’t even have the right words. Can’t even imagine your pain. Her killer should never, ever be released. Anyone committing a violent crime should never be released. Yes, I believe in the death penalty, and do it & get it over with. I also don’t think any violent prisoners should be released. If the prisons are too crowded then put up tents on their grounds. I also feel all prisoners should have to work in prison, to pay for their food, shelter and healthcare. There’s all kinds of jobs that they could be assigned.
Hope you know how sorry I am Dag MacLugh!
Sincerely, Zam

I’ve always wondered if some who were against execution saw their child being raped or tortured, etc., would they hesitate to shoot, hit the person over their head with a shovel (whatever) and kill the attacker if need be to prevent it from happening?

Do will feel the right to kill in self-defense?

Would you kill to protect your loved one from a mad-man?

A guy in TX a year or two ago (I think it was TX)walked in on a guy molesting his Daughter, and beat the guy to death. Thank God, he was found NOT GUILTY. Anybody remember that one?

A personal note. My daughter, Sabrina, was murdered on 24 February 2002. She was deliberately run over–not once, but twice–in full view of numerous witnesses. My daughter is in an urn; her killer, in prison for twelve more years. I’m seventy-four years old. If I live long enough I hope, in the worst way, to greet him on his release.

That’s terrible, sorry to hear that. I am glad her killer is in jail.

I’ve always wondered if some who were against execution saw their child being raped or tortured, etc., would they hesitate to shoot, hit the person over their head with a shovel (whatever) and kill the attacker if need be to prevent it from happening?

Do will feel the right to kill in self-defense?

Would you kill to protect your loved one from a mad-man?

If somebody tried to hurt my Family, they would be in a world of hurt by the time I was done with them. Between my fists and guns, they would regret it.

I would be exactly the same. Except the gun bit lol.

Why is it Morf that the American culture (Male especially) feel that gun’s make a person that much more macho. I get the impression from the American’s I know that it’s a matter of the constitutional right to bare arms being so important because if you took that away, American man especially would feel like they were not quite real men anymore. I honestly do not mean this question to be intended to be taken in any way other than a genuine curiosity.

I kept being told by American after American in the aftermath of Sandy Hook that "You Brits are pussies and let them take your guns, we Americans are not and won’t let that happen."

I mean The Government over here didn’t order us to relinquish out guns or else, there was a proposal to the citizens in the wake of the Dunblane School tragedy and it was us the People who made the voluntary decision that a society without firearms being so easily available is a better and safer one and we don’t want another massacre of 10 year old children. Kinda angered me when that guy said we were weak and gave up the guns easily under Governmental pressure when we ourselves decided that was the sensible and safe idea for the safety of our children

I’ve always wondered if some who were against execution saw their child being raped or tortured, etc., would they hesitate to shoot, hit the person over their head with a shovel (whatever) and kill the attacker if need be to prevent it from happening?

Do will feel the right to kill in self-defense?

Would you kill to protect your loved one from a mad-man?

I have always wondered if someone who was for execution, watched their daughter or wife fry in the electric chair, only later to be found innocent would they still believe in the death penalty, I very much doubt it. Collateral damage appears acceptable when it involves someone else’s family, but when the miscarriage of justice occurs on ones own doorstep, people change their tune.
As much as would like every murderer, rapist etc executed, unless you get 100% correct convictions, an execution is murder, and somebody has to be held accountable for that.

Were any justice system foolproof I believe I would gladly throw the switch myself. But it ain’t. So since we cannot deliver justice correctly 100% of the time, and since it’s impossible to apologise fully to a corpse when you get it wrong, I disagree with capital punishment.

Were any justice system foolproof I believe I would gladly throw the switch myself. But it ain’t. So since we cannot deliver justice correctly 100% of the time, and since it’s impossible to apologise fully to a corpse when you get it wrong, I disagree with capital punishment.

That, in a nut shell Smithy, is my stance on State Sanctioned Murder. I won’t be persuaded to change my opinion that if one Innocent is proven to have been executed, then that is more than enough reason to abolish the death penalty there and then. State by State in the US though the death sentence is being taken off the table and abolished.
If they were honest, they admit that the death penalty isn’t about justice, but revenge. If you shouw me one person who says that after their daughters murderer was letahally injected, her life is now back the way it always was then i’ll concede i’m wrong about it. And if you keep taking an eye in return for an eye, pretty soon the majority will be blind and society stops functioning.

Spy….

You hit the nail on the head there. So long as it isn’t their brother, father or husband being gassed to death, electrocuted or injected with chemical after chemical then we can continue supporting State murder. That, in all respect, is just a selfish attitude. It doesn’t need to be a family member of mine for me to see how wrong is.

I mean it’s only a few years ago that Troy Davis was starapped down and poisoned to death with the three drug "Painless" injection. The documentary follows Troy rite to to the hour before hi’s murdered and the Guards are asked do they think the execution will go ahead and if so what it means and the guard looks back at the camera and says "I think we are executing an innocent man here tonight." He was convicted on the bases if an eyewitness claiming Troy was the shooter and we know how wonderfully accurate eye witnesses testimony is. The person came foreward a few months before Troys execution to state he wanted to recant his texstimony because he could not be 100% sure it was Troy. Appeal Court Ruling and request for new trial: Denied.

Like you said Spy, absolutely spot on, as long as it Joe Bloggs being executed from that other State then we are fine and back the State Murdering People and they would even throw the switch themselves to sending the 4000 V. surging into the man strapped into the Chair. What you tyhink Spy, if the system wrongfully convicted their Brother and put him on Death Row to wait and wait for his turn to come around?
Would you announce proudly "Step aside, allow me to throw the switch that sends the 4000V surging through my brothers body. This is Justice and Justice must be done"
Surely you would if your a supporter of such barbaric medieval law? I hope those who offered to throw the switch earlier are not only going to support the throwing of switches and then not put their money where their mouths are and continue supporting ‘Justice’ when that Justice becomes a personal issue? That’s what’s funny about every single supporter of Capital Punishment, every one of them would instantly go from pro death to anti death the second their mother was being led to the gurney.

I will be honest, I think that incredibly selfish to think that cooking someone from the inside out (as the chair seem to do to ones internal organs), is fine by us, so long as it’s not being done to anyone in my family. Such a wonderful moral attitude. until they are asked to support this wonderful form of justice now it’s their mother strapped to a chair with a death mask covering her face to spare the excited crowd from seeing her blood vessels burst and explode etc. Would you cheer on and declare then that "Justice has been done." And it ony took 3 jolts and her head catching fire to finish her off.

I’ve always wondered if some who were against execution saw their child being raped or tortured, etc., would they hesitate to shoot, hit the person over their head with a shovel (whatever) and kill the attacker if need be to prevent it from happening?

Do will feel the right to kill in self-defense?

Would you kill to protect your loved one from a mad-man?

I have always wondered if someone who was for execution, watched their daughter or wife fry in the electric chair, only later to be found innocent would they still believe in the death penalty, I very much doubt it. Collateral damage appears acceptable when it involves someone else’s family, but when the miscarriage of justice occurs on ones own doorstep, people change their tune.
As much as would like every murderer, rapist etc executed, unless you get 100% correct convictions, an execution is murder, and somebody has to be held accountable for that.

Luckily, in this country, probably 99% of the people executed for crimes, are actually guilty. You have to realize too, that the appeals process can take years, or decades. People can be on death row for a great many years before being executed. That allows for appeals, new evidence to surface to help clear people, etc. For the 1% of parents that would be sad over seeing their Child executed for a crime they did not commit, they are outweighed by far, by the pain felt by the large number of parents who lost kids due to the murderers that we execute.

Morf you know te best bit about this fail safe system? They will use Cyanide gas to asphyxiate people to death for years and then the Supreme Court will decide this is unconstitutional and meets the cruel and unusual punishment definition. The same wit the Electric Chair. Fry hundreds to death flying the flag of "They don’t feel a thing" until the Court decides it actually torture now and outlaw it. Lethal Injection will follow the exact same format as Gas and Electric.

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

"Luckily, in this country, probably 99% of the people executed for crimes, are actually guilty."

Really Morf? You must have overlooked this list of men sentenced to die before being found not guilty and released….

1970-1979[edit source]

1973
1. David Keaton Florida (Keaton v. State, 273 So.2d 385 (1973)). Convicted 1971.

1974
2. Samuel A. Poole North Carolina (State v. Poole, 203 S.E.2d 786 (N.C. 1974)). Convicted 1973.

1975
3. Wilbert Lee Florida (Pitts v. State 247 So.2d 53 (Fla. 1971), overturned and released by pardon in 1975). Convicted 1963.
4. Freddie Pitts Florida (Pitts v. State 247 So.2d 53 (Fla. 1971), overturned and released by pardon in 1975). Convicted 1965.
5. James Creamer Georgia (Emmett v. Ricketts, 397 F. Supp 1025 (N.D. Ga. 1975)). Convicted 1973.
6. Christopher Spicer North Carolina (State v. Spicer, 204 SE 2d 641 (1974)). Convicted 1973.

1976
7. Clarence Norris Alabama. Convicted 1931.
8. Thomas Gladish New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
9. Richard Greer New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
10. Ronald Keine New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
11. Clarence Smith New Mexico. Convicted 1974.

1977
11. Delbert Tibbs Florida. Convicted 1974.

1978
12. Earl Charles Georgia. Convicted 1975.
13. Jonathan Treadway Arizona. Convicted 1975.

1979
14. Gary Beeman Ohio. Convicted 1976.

1980-1989[edit source]

1980
15. Jerry Banks.
16. Larry Hicks.

1981
17. Charles Ray Giddens.
18. Michael Linder.
19. Johnny Ross.
20. Ernest (Shuhaa) Graham.

1982
21. Annibal Jaramillo.
22. Lawyer Johnson Massachusetts (Commonwealth v. Johnson, 429 N.E.2d 726 (1982)). Convicted 1971.

1985
23. Larry Fisher.

1986
24. Anthony Brown.
25. Neil Ferber.
26. Clifford Henry Bowen.

1987
27. Joseph Green Brown. He was re-arrested in 2012 and charged with another murder in North Carolina.[2]
28. Perry Cobb.
29. Darby (Williams) Tillis.
30. Vernon McManus.
31. Anthony Ray Peek.
32. Juan Ramos.
33. Robert Wallace.

1988
34. Richard Neal Jones.
35. Willie Brown.
36. Larry Troy.

1989
37. Randall Dale Adams Texas (Ex Parte Adams, 768 S.W.2d 281) (Tex. Crim App. 1989). Convicted 1977.[3][4]
38. Robert Cox.
39. James Richardson.
On April 8, 2010, former death row inmate Timothy B. Hennis, once exonerated in 1989, was reconvicted of a triple murder, thereby dropping him from the list of those exonerated. [1] Sentenced to death by military court-martial 15 April 2010

1990-1999[edit source]

1990
40. Clarence Brandley Texas (Ex Parte Brandley, 781 S.W.2d 886 (Tex. Crim App. 1989). Convicted 1981.
41. John C. Skelton.
42. Dale Johnston.
43. Jimmy Lee Mathers.

1991
44. Gary Nelson.
45. Bradley P. Scott.
46. Charles Smith.

1992
47. Jay C. Smith Pennsylvania. Convicted 1986.

1993
48. Kirk Bloodsworth Maryland. Convicted 1984. Exonerated 1993; first prisoner to be exonerated by DNA evidence. Serving life in prison when exonerated, as earlier death sentence was overturned.
49. Federico M. Macias.
50. Walter McMillan.
51. Gregory R. Wilhoit Oklahoma. Convicted 1987. Along with Ron Williamson, Wilhoit later became the subject of John Grisham’s 2006 non-fiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town.[5]
52. James Robison.
53. Muneer Deeb.

1994
54. Andrew Golden.

1995
55. Adolph Munson.
56. Robert Charles Cruz. (Cruz disappeared in 1997. His remains were found in 2007.[6])
57. Rolando Cruz.
58. Alejandro Hernández.
59. Sabrina Butler.

1996
60. Joseph Burrows. Joseph Burrows was released from death row after his attorney Kathleen Zellner persuaded the real killer to confess at the post-conviction hearing, and Peter Rooney, a reporter for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, obtained a recantation from a key witness. [2]. The Burrows case was the subject of a book by Rooney titled "Die Free: A True Story of Murder, Betrayal and Miscarried Justice" [3]
61. Verneal Jimerson.
62. Dennis Williams.
63. Roberto Miranda.
64. Gary Gauger
65. Troy Lee Jones.
66. Carl Lawson.
67. David Wayne Grannis.

1997
68. Ricardo Aldape Guerra.
69. Benjamin Harris.
70. Robert Hayes.
71. Christopher McCrimmon.
72. Randall Padgett.
It is later revealed, through additional research by Prof. Samuel Gross of the University of Michigan, that though James Bo Cochran was acquitted of murder, he did plead guilty to a robbery charge in an agreement made with prosecutors prior to his release. Therefore, Cochran is no longer on the list of those exonerated from death row. [4]

1998
73. Robert Lee Miller, Jr.
74. Curtis Kyles.

1999
75. Shareef Cousin Louisiana (Louisiana v. Cousin, 710 So. 2d 1065 (1998)). Convicted 1996.
76. Anthony Porter Illinois. Convicted 1983.
77. Steven Smith.
78. Ronald Williamson Oklahoma. Convicted 1988. Along with Gregory R. Wilhoit, Williamson later became the inspiration for and subject of John Grisham’s 2006 non-fiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town.[5]
79. Ronald Jones.
80. Clarence Dexter, Jr.
81. Warren Douglas Manning.
82. Alfred Rivera.

2000-2009[edit source]

2000
83. Steve Manning.
84. Eric Clemmons.
85. Joseph Nahume Green.
86. Earl Washington Virginia (pardoned). Convicted 1994 (1984, without life sentence).
87. William Nieves.
88. Frank Lee Smith (died prior to exoneration).
89. Michael Graham.
90. Albert Burrell.
91. Oscar Lee Morris.

2001
92. Peter Limone.
93. Gary Drinkard.
94. Joachin José Martínez.
95. Jeremy Sheets.
96. Charles Fain.

2002
97. Juan Roberto Melendez-Colon Florida. Convicted 1984.
98. Ray Krone Arizona (State v. Krone, 897 P.2d 621 (Ariz. 1995) (en banc)). Convicted 1992.
99. Thomas Kimbell, Jr.
100. Larry Osborne.

2003
101. Aaron Patterson.
102. Madison Hobley.
103. Leroy Orange.
104. Stanley Howard.
105. Rudolph Holton.
106. Lemuel Prion.
107. Wesley Quick.
108. John Thompson.
109. Timothy Howard Ohio. Convicted 1976.
110. Gary Lamar James Ohio. Convicted 1976.
111. Joseph Amrine.
112. Nicholas Yarris Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania v. Yarris, No 690-OF1982, Court of Common Pleas, Delaware County, September 3, 2003. Order vacating conviction). Convicted 1982.

2004
113. Alan Gell.
114. Gordon Steidl.
115. Laurence Adams.
116. Dan L. Bright.
117. Ryan Matthews.
118. Ernest Ray Willis.

2005
119. Derrick Jamison.
120. Harold Wilson.

2006
121. John Ballard.

2007
122. Curtis McCarty.
123. Michael McCormick.
124. Jonathon Hoffman.

2008
125. Kennedy Brewer Mississippi. Convicted 1995.
126. Glen Edward Chapman North Carolina. Convicted 1995.
127. Levon "Bo" Jones[7] North Carolina. Convicted 1993.
128. Michael Blair Texas.

2009
129. Nathson Fields Illinois. Convicted 1986.
130. Paul House Tennessee. Convicted 1986.
131. Daniel Wade Moore Alabama. Convicted 2002.
132. Ronald Kitchen Illinois. Convicted 1988.
133. Herman Lindsey Florida. Convicted 2006.
134. Michael Toney Texas. Convicted 1999. (Toney later died in a car accident on October 3, 2009, just one month and a day after his exoneration.).[8]
135. Yancy Douglas Oklahoma. Convicted 1997.
136. Paris Powell Oklahoma. Convicted 1997.
137. Robert Springsteen Texas. Convicted 2001.

2010-2012[edit source]

2010
138. Joe D’Ambrosio Ohio. Convicted 1989. (While he was freed in 2010, but not yet exonerated, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by the state of Ohio challenging the unconditional writ of habeas corpus and bar to D’Ambrosio’s re-prosecution on January 23, 2012, nearly 2 years later, making D’Ambrosio the 140th death row exoneree since 1973. [5])
139. Anthony Graves Texas. Convicted 1994.

2011
140. Gussie Vann Tennessee. Convicted 1994.

2012
141. Damon Thibodeaux Louisiana. Convicted 1997.
142. Seth Penalver Florida. Convicted 1994.