Save Our State - The Death Penalty

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The Death Penalty - California

I'd like to know how you all feel about the death penalty in California,

I will be uploading a few documents on Public Document Distributors in relation to California's death penalty, and hope to obtain your honest opinions now, and maybe later as the information is publicized. For now, here's one to start us off:

Attached below is a few documents from the file of a convict in 1924 who was condemned and executed by the state for murder. These documents are a list of press and other people to be notified, an invitation to witness the execution, a letter authenticating the execution was done, the death certificate shortly after, and the instruction for filling it out properly

Hanging was the method at that time, as you'll see in the box marked cause of death. I'll tell you what my research has turned up, and that is that California has hung around a thousand in the state pen, at least from the records, and that's quite a few neck stretchings. The question is: Was it meant to punish, deter, or avenge? And did it accomplish any of those?

I'm for it. I think it serves as a deterent. As well as a savings of taxpayers money, if it could be done with a limit on appeals. Plus there is one intangible.........Satisfaction.

I'm for the death penalty. Why should society have to pay (it costs big $$$$) to house, feed, clothe, provide medical, educate, legal services and all the other costs associated with keeping them in prison for life. The death penalty is specially appropriate for those where there is no question as to their guilt simply because they did it in front of a camera or caught in the act.

These links are to documents I've started to upload from the files of the Warden and San Quentin during the years 1893 through 1944. Seems California had a pretty active gallows early on, executing hundreds of convicts during that period. Hanging was the prescribed treatment, and appeals were very short, and often denied. The time frame between judgement of the court and time of death was around two years on average. Seems the sheriff and court would deliver a prisoner to the warden, and the warden would deliver a corpse two years later. Anyway, I'll be uploading more documents over the next month as I obtain them, but here is the first batch:

http://publicdocumentdistributors.co...2&d=1284782169

http://publicdocumentdistributors.co...3&d=1284783369

Here is a death warrant from the 1920's, written by hand as many were at the time:

J Hendrix by the way....hope he wasn't a geeetar player

http://publicdocumentdistributors.co...1&d=1284780849

And here is a copy of the report from another convict whose cause of death was officially designated "fracture of the neck".

http://saveourstate.info/attachment....1&d=1284708165

For those who endorse the death penalty, what crimes do you think should warrant a death penalty?

I believe that the death penalty is more humane than a life sentence.

And, as in a life sentence, there will a be a percentage of those who were convicted yet are innocent of the crime they were charged with.

In addition to Jean's belief concerning costs and such, there will be fewer criminals running criminal empires from solitary confinement.

I believe that an inmate who murders another inmate should be swiftly executed as well as those who engage in coded communication with the outside or engages in criminal enterprise while behind bars, anyone who rapes another inmate, racial violence - as well as corrections officers who conspire with convicts concerning everything from aiding criminal organizations, smuggling drugs into prison, sex with prisoners, or uses inmates to "educate" or punish other inmates.

There will be much fewer problems concerning incarceration and recidivism, and significantly less misconduct by corrections officers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twoller (Post 12168)

For those who endorse the death penalty, what crimes do you think should warrant a death penalty?

I'm going to withhold comment on one section of offenders for now, but definately premeditated murder for lust or financial gain, as well as murder for profit. Then, murder for passion, as that should not be given an "out" as it has been in the past. Someone acts in a fit of rage, that should be a deterrent. What other deterrent is there?

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...FrankWoods.jpg

Quote:

CRIME: Murder'. First Degree.
Woods, with five 'co-defendants, had entered Into a conspiracy to burglarize the offices of the Cypress Lawn Cometary near San Francisco. They provided theinselvee with.tools and dynamite and five of the mencarried pistols. On the night of January 20, 19020 they wont to the cometary but, finding the place occupied and guarded, they returned to the city. They road a street car as, far, as the car barns at Mission and ValenoIa..Stret and then started to walk the rest of the way down. Into the city. They divided themselves into two partIos one group of three remaining at. some distance from the other. At Eighteenth and Valencia the second of the two groups attempted to hold up a Japanese who shouted for help. Becoming frightened, the three ran toward the fir-2,t group and one of the three fired his pistol, in, an attempt. to intimidate any who might be pursuing. A.pollce officer, Eugene C. Robinson, ran up to the group and demanded
to know who had the. gun, that had been fired. Woods and two or three of the othera opened fire on the officer and a fusillade followed0 The officer was killed and Woods was wounded In two places. The gang scattered and were not arrested for some time. One of the gang, Henderson, was arrested first and incriminated the .others Woods was apprehended some weeks later In Portland, Oregon. Scars left from his two wounds corresponded In position to the holes found in an overcoat located near the scene of the shooting where it had been d-iscarded. The officer was shot wlth.a.44 calibre revolver and Woods was Identified.as the only. one in the gang that had .a gun of that 5150. Eyewitnesses to the shooting Identified Woods also as the man that had shot the officer. He was found. guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to hang. Two others of the gang were convicted of socond degree murder and received twenty-f ive.yoars in nrison,

http://publicdocumentdistributors.co...6&d=1284833913

It might be a good idea to put the issue in a global perspective:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_penalty#Somalia

Quote:

....

Somalia

There is evidence that child executions are taking place in the parts of Somalia controlled by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). In October 2008, a girl, Aisho Ibrahim Dhuhulow was buried up to her neck at a football stadium, then stoned to death in front of more than 1,000 people. The stoning occurred after she had allegedly pleaded guilty to adultery in a shariah court in Kismayo, a city controlled by the ICU. According to a local leader associated with the ICU, she had stated that she wanted shariah law to apply.[66] However, other sources state that the victim had been crying, that she begged for mercy and had to be forced into the hole before being buried up to her neck in the ground.[67] Amnesty International later learned that the girl was in fact 13 years old and had been arrested by the al-Shabab militia after she had reported being gang-raped by three men.[68]

....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twoller (Post 12172)

It might be a good idea to put the issue in a global perspective:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_penalty#Somalia

I understand that Somalia is in dire need of human rights advocates.

Any volunteers?