More From Judge Kozinski On Firing Squads For Death Row Prisoners
In the LA Times, Patt Morrison interviews Judge Alex Kozinski on his recent words that firing squads should be used to execute death row prisoners:
Are we trying to have it both ways with capital punishment?Who doesn't? I think the government officials who are running it are dragging their feet. I don't know what the reaction would be in California if, let's say, we started shooting people. Some people would be horrified, some would back away and others would say it's fine. There's some thought that it might actually increase the deterrent value. I don't think that being put to death by going to sleep is such a great deterrent.
...Are objections to lethal injection just a stalking horse for getting rid of the death penalty altogether?
I think the people who are fighting it are out to end it. My purpose is to say: "This is expensive, it causes delay, uncertainty, probably a lot of grief, so we ought to come up with something better." And we ought to come face to face with what we're doing. If we're not comfortable with what we're doing, we should not be doing it. But if we are comfortable with what we're doing, we should do it better.
I think a narrow death penalty would be far more effective: The torturer/child killers, the rapist killers -- there are cases that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand. Imagining yourself being the victim, or being the family of the victim when you learned what happened -- it's unthinkable. Some people get convicted and properly sentenced; they deserve it.
My previous blog item on this: "If We're Going To Have Executions, They Should Be Bloody"
Imagining yourself being the victim, or being the family of the victim when you learned what happened
I've already had that misfortune. Fortunately, my friend managed to survive, so I'm ok with letting the justice system do its thing.
Even so, I'm still tempted to gut the perp like a fish.
I R A Darth Aggie at July 31, 2014 6:57 AM
If we are going to have the death penalty, it would be fair to give the perp his choice as to manner of death: lethal injection, gas chamber , electric chair, firing squad, and perhaps other manner of death.
Nick at July 31, 2014 7:15 AM
...natural causes, old age, snoo snoo
jerry at July 31, 2014 8:02 AM
You're right about the opposition's strategy -- it's the same story as opposition to nuclear power and opposition to abortion in states like Mississippi and Texas. In all three of these "wars", the procedure the protesters object to is still technically allowed, but they have gotten state actors to impose compliance costs so high that nobody can pay them. Then in all three, the media frame the story as if the procedure itself [rather than the opposition-passed law] causes all the extra delay and expense, and thus is probably not worth pursuing any longer.
Most readers of this blog lean left, and so likely agree with me that it's unfair to do this to the abortion industry. But in my view it's an unfair way to fight against ANY industry, whether it's nuclear power (which I support) or the death penalty (which I do not support).
jdgalt at July 31, 2014 10:00 AM
Uh... Can you crash-N-burn like Jesus? Can you literally move mountains? Do you know the amount of raindrops -or- snowflakes on snoBOMBa's collar? Then why-O-why dost thou callest thyself a goddess, my just and fair liege?? Methinks you're too schtuck on this world like Jesus with PB on the roof-of-His-mouth. Lemme gonna wanna gitcha (onomatopoeia words kick-ass) tell youse bout Seventh-Heaven and see if you wanna join me at thy lifelong demise --- Greetings, earthling. Ya know what’s incredible and edible? Because I was an actual NDE on the outskirts of the Great Beyond at 15 yet wasn’t allowed in, lemme share with you what I actually know Seventh-Heaven's gonna be like for us: meet this ultra-bombastic, ex-mortal-Upstairs for the most-extra-blatant-and-groovy, pleasure-beyond-measure, Ultra-Yummy-Reality-Addiction in the Great Beyond for a BIG-ol, kick-ass, party-hardy, eternal-warp-drive you DO NOT wanna miss the sink-your-teeth-in-the-smmmokin’-hot-deal. YES! For God, anything and everything and more! is possible!! Cya soon.
-blessed holy socks at July 31, 2014 4:14 PM
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