Maryland abolishes death penalty

There are problems, though, with this (previous page, not Star Trek!) stance Perun. The law is drawn into these issues; often to arbitrate & define. Think about assisted suicide & euthanasia & the like. There is the huge potential for abuse of power. The law is often drawn in, not to punish wrongdoing, but to protect genuine aiding parties. To define the differences between these things. To guide professionals & non-professionals.
 
I think I didn't make myself clear enough. A case of murder or deadbeat and such must of course be persecuted. Those are crimes. My stance however is, that the state may not rule over an individual's life and death as such. If an assisted suicide case turns out to be murder, it must be tried as murder. But that's a different thing from outlawing assisted suicide.
 
Texas carries out 500th capital punishment since 1976.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23075873

The US state of Texas has executed its 500th prisoner since it reinstated the death penalty in 1982.

Kimberly McCarthy, 52, who was convicted of killing her neighbour in 1997, was given a lethal injection on Wednesday evening.

McCarthy was also the first woman executed in the US for nearly three years.

Texas is one of 32 states to still have the death penalty, but it carries out the most executions.

Since the US Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976, 40% of all executions have taken place in the state.

Despite growing opposition to the death penalty worldwide, Texans support it. A poll by the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune last year found 73% of voters backed the punishment.

'500 too many'

Officials said that for them, the state's 500th execution was no different to any other.

"We simply carried out the court's order," Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark told the Associated Press.

McCarthy, a former nursing home therapist who became addicted to crack cocaine, attacked 71-year-old retired psychology professor Dorothy Booth inside her home in the town of Lancaster, with a butcher's knife and candelabra.

She used the knife to sever her victim's finger and get her wedding ring.

In her final statement before being given a single lethal dose of pentobarbital, McCarthy did not mention her status as the 500th person to be executed.

"This is not a loss. This is a win. You know where I'm going. I'm going home to be with Jesus. Keep the faith. I love you all," she said.

McCarthy was pronounced dead at 18:37 (23:37 GMT).

Her lawyer Maurie Levin said in a statement: "Five hundred is 500 too many. I look forward to the day when we recognise that this pointless and barbaric practice, imposed almost exclusively on those who are poor and disproportionately on people of colour, has no place in a civilised society."

-- -- --

40%! Bearfan, why do you think Texas carries out so many more executions than the other states?
 
I'd have to look it up, but compared to other states per capita that have the death penalty Texas sentences about the same amount of people to death ... the difference is they carry out the sentences versus keeping people on Death Row forever.

This is a pretty decent article as to why that is (legally) ... I do not agree with the cultural portion as there are so many transplants down here (myself included)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/execution/readings/texas.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top