Intractable Obstacles

Last year ended with the news of a record low number of death sentences, and with the decision by the American Law Institute, described today in the New York Times, to give up trying to fix our broken capital punishment system.  The Institute, a collection of thousands of judges, lawyers and law professors, is very influential, in that it creates model penal codes which often serve as the basis for the real-life laws under which we live.  

The Institute created the “modern” death penalty system that the US Supreme Court endorsed in 1976.  But a report detailing factors we are already all too familiar with – persistent racial bias, inadequate defense, wrongful convictions, and a politicized judiciary – caused the Institute to vote to abandon capital punishment, citing “… intractable institutional and structural obstacles to ensuring a minimally adequate system for administering capital punishment.”  

This doesn’t mean that the death penalty in the US will suddenly cease to exist; the deliberate and thoughtful analysis of the American Law Institute will not have an immediate impact in states where killing prisoners is routine and done without much thought at all.

Executions will continue.  Three in fact, will occur on Thursday.  While the usual suspects, Texas and Ohio, plan to execute Kenneth Mosley and Vernon Smith (aka Abdullah Sharif Kaazim Mahdi), Louisiana also has an execution scheduled on that day – its first in almost 8 years.  Gerald Bordelon has “volunteered” to be executed.  The next day, January 8, South Carolina will execute Quincy Allen.  He, too, is “volunteering,” and has asked to be put to death by electrocution.  The state will oblige him.

UPDATE: The state of South Carolina will NOT oblige Quincy Allen’s volunteering to be electrocuted.  The South Carolina Supreme Court has stayed his execution.

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10 thoughts on “Intractable Obstacles

  1. I can't believe there will be four executions in a row! Ohio STILL hasn't held a hearing on Romell Broom's failed execution, which means that it will unknowingly satisfy vengeance once more in killing a few more prisoners before it will put Broom to death again! This is so unfair! And even the final thing in Texas is that it will add more insult to injury by killing Kenneth Mosley in spite of his insistence that he killed a police officer by accident! The officer's family will get their vengeance in the form of justice satisfied once again, and my heart still breaks for them and for Kenneth's family. I can only pray for their forgieveness and for the safety of Kenneth's soul. 😥

  2. Good afternoon all. It is one of your favorite "Pro-Choice" Supporters – Freedom to CHOOSE Death Penalty or No Death Penalty for convicted capital offense criminals!

    I love when an assertion/expression of opinion like "…states where killing prisoners is ROUTINE and DONE WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT at all".

    And then later down the names of Kenneth Mosely; Vernon Smith; Gerald Bordelon; and Quincy Allen are mentioned. AS IF to suggest THEY are all being "ROUTINELY" killed and "WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT".

    When I have more time I'll post these "gentlemen's" resumes and FACTS about each case, appeals and processes that led to the death sentences and HOPEFULLY carried out executions. HARDLY "ROUTINE" and certainly NOT "WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT".

    Later Gators,

    Brian

  3. Perhaps the "experts" should look at Norway's penal system. Longest sentence given is 20 years, no death penalty, and the system actually rehabilitates offenders and with little recidivism. Within a few years of entering the system, convicts are put into a work release program which sends them into the world and requires them to be back to base by evening and on weekends. They spend very little money on incarceration. Norway has the lowest crime rate in the WORLD. Guess they're doing something right. Get this… their police don't carry guns. On top of everything else, this country has free education, health care, one year paid maternity leave, child care and guaranteed pension. Where do I sign up!

  4. I can’t believe there will be four executions in a row! Ohio STILL hasn’t held a hearing on Romell Broom’s failed execution, which means that it will unknowingly satisfy vengeance once more in killing a few more prisoners before it will put Broom to death again! This is so unfair! And even the final thing in Texas is that it will add more insult to injury by killing Kenneth Mosley in spite of his insistence that he killed a police officer by accident! The officer’s family will get their vengeance in the form of justice satisfied once again, and my heart still breaks for them and for Kenneth’s family. I can only pray for their forgieveness and for the safety of Kenneth’s soul. 😥

  5. Good afternoon all. It is one of your favorite “Pro-Choice” Supporters – Freedom to CHOOSE Death Penalty or No Death Penalty for convicted capital offense criminals!

    I love when an assertion/expression of opinion like “…states where killing prisoners is ROUTINE and DONE WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT at all”.

    And then later down the names of Kenneth Mosely; Vernon Smith; Gerald Bordelon; and Quincy Allen are mentioned. AS IF to suggest THEY are all being “ROUTINELY” killed and “WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT”.

    When I have more time I’ll post these “gentlemen’s” resumes and FACTS about each case, appeals and processes that led to the death sentences and HOPEFULLY carried out executions. HARDLY “ROUTINE” and certainly NOT “WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT”.

    Later Gators,

    Brian

  6. Perhaps the “experts” should look at Norway’s penal system. Longest sentence given is 20 years, no death penalty, and the system actually rehabilitates offenders and with little recidivism. Within a few years of entering the system, convicts are put into a work release program which sends them into the world and requires them to be back to base by evening and on weekends. They spend very little money on incarceration. Norway has the lowest crime rate in the WORLD. Guess they’re doing something right. Get this… their police don’t carry guns. On top of everything else, this country has free education, health care, one year paid maternity leave, child care and guaranteed pension. Where do I sign up!

  7. Yeah Donna-

    Take guns out of the Cops hands in the USA and see what happens next. Great idea. Write that down and recommend it at your next local town hall meeting.

    Norway sounds like a wonderful place and they must be doing something right. Perhaps they raise kids better. And since everything is "FREE" they don't have to steal anything. If you moved Chicago, or East St. Louis, or Detroit or just about any U.S. City and dropped it in the middle of Norway I think the crime rate, light sentences, and unarmed cops would all change.

    No need to sign up, just get a visa and go there. You work hard enough and punch the right tickets you might be able to obtain citizenship.

    Good luck!

  8. Yeah Donna-

    Take guns out of the Cops hands in the USA and see what happens next. Great idea. Write that down and recommend it at your next local town hall meeting.

    Norway sounds like a wonderful place and they must be doing something right. Perhaps they raise kids better. And since everything is “FREE” they don’t have to steal anything. If you moved Chicago, or East St. Louis, or Detroit or just about any U.S. City and dropped it in the middle of Norway I think the crime rate, light sentences, and unarmed cops would all change.

    No need to sign up, just get a visa and go there. You work hard enough and punch the right tickets you might be able to obtain citizenship.

    Good luck!

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