Westerfield gets the death penalty (Van Dam case)

[JDBoston 0]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=519&ncid=519&e=1&u=/ap/20020916/ap_on_re_us/kidnapped_girl

Well, only if the judge upholds it.

Joe

[Muenkel 0]

Damn, I wish it was a life of really hard labor. Death is too merciful for him.

_________________________________________
Chris

[DJL 232]

I am completely against the death penalty (I hope I don't start this inevitable debate) and oppose it as a method of punishment (yes, too easy, make the sucker sit and rot) but I have no problem knowing that this guy won't be around.

-djl

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[billvon 2,471]

At least the waiting is over for Damon and Brenda. Not that it's going to bring Danielle back, but at least they know what happened and that the person who did it will never do the same to anyone else.

[Deuce 1]

Quote

At least the waiting is over for Damon and Brenda. Not that it's going to bring Danielle back, but at least they know what happened and that the person who did it will never do the same to anyone else.

Yeah, what he said.

[aneblett 0]

Amen

S.E.X. party #2

..It is far worse to live with fear, than to die confronting it.

[steve1 5]

I may be politically incorrect in this, but don't you wish you could hook him up behind a truck and drag him around for just a little while. Or maybe put his head in a cage full of hungry rats or something. I'll tell you I know the guy is really sick, but I just can't find any simpathy or forgiveness for someone like that. Steve1 (the redneck has spoken)

[ECVZZ 0]

My vote: HANG THE BASTARD! 'course, 'tis only my opinion. There are others I know who wish to disembowel the asshole!

G. Jones

"I've never been quarantined. But the more I look around, the more I think it might not be a bad idea."

[harro 0]

You could keep him jail for the rest of his life but you will be paying for him in your taxes. If he goes to the chamber, then I think he gets off easy.

Maybe dragging him around by his testicles with a tow truck and then leaving him to the mercy of the family may work

My 10 cents, 2 cents for free

Jumpy Jumpy??

[rhino 0]

The bastard will die.. If he fucked with my family he would have never made it to trial..

[steve1 5]

Rhino,
I have a couple of daughters, and I doubt if I could keep myself from doing the same thing. I don't have a lot of faith in our justice system. Sometimes things have a way of working out though. Dahmer got what he deserved. Steve1

[skybytch 259]

Damon and Brenda were on the Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw radio show (KGB, San Diego) this morning. They really impressed me.

Danielle's 8th birthday is this Sunday; they've planned a big party for local kids as a way of getting themselves through the day.

They both said the big relief was when the guilty verdict with the special circumstances came in; then they knew that he would never be back on the street, regardless of if he got "life" or death.

Brenda said she'll be taking the stand soon and asking Westerfield some questions. She knows he won't answer them, she just wants him to have some things to think about.

About had me crying when she described a trip to the beauty parlor with Danielle; she said Danielle was a "girly girl" who just loved to get manicures and pedicures.

And after all they've been through, they went beyond their troubles and expressed sadness for those families whose children haven't been found...

I can't even imagine how horrible this has been for them, but they came through it, imho anyway, showing a lot of class.

[steve1 5]

Lisa,
You have to admire parents like that. They have more strength than I'd have in a situation like that. Steve1

[PhillyKev 0]

Quote

You could keep him jail for the rest of his life but you will be paying for him in your taxes.

It actually costs taxpayers more to pay for the appeals process involved in a capital sentence than it would to keep him in prison the rest of his life.

[scottbre 0]

Quote

I don't have a lot of faith in our justice system.

It would follow then, that you don't have a lot of faith in how the justice system determines guilt.

"Your mother's full of stupidjuice!"
My Art Project

[steve1 5]

Scott,
Yes, for example the O.J. Simpson trial. And I guess I am in favor of capital punishment, but it's too bad so much money is involved to finally put someone to death (such as this Westerfield). Steve1

[PhillyKev 0]

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Yes, for example the O.J. Simpson trial.

That's a good example of how juries can make mistakes. Which is exactly why I'm NOT in favor of capital punishment.

[steve1 5]

PhillyKev,
That is a valid point. I can see the reasoning behind that, but I guess my biggest gripe (besides seeing someone get off "Scott free" because they are rich) is the fact that courts aren't tough enough. For example: I had one of my students go home for Christmas one year, and he never came back to school. His Dad was drunk and a little stressed out so he decides to beat the kid to death. A few years later this same guy is out walking the streets as free as a bird. This sort of thing happens a lot. At the risk of sounding like a wild eyed radical..... I'd like to see a tougher judicial system in place. My brother works in law enforcement in Oregon where prisons are real cushie and they let you out of the slammer over and over again after a short stay for major felonies. He showed me a rap sheet on one guy who committed like twenty felonies over the years, and he was recently set free again to rape and pillage innocent people. I know there is research out there that says that tougher penalties and death sentences don't work, but then again there's research out there to prove about anything and I disagree. And I guess I'm willing to risk the fact that the courts can make a wrong decision. Then there's the subject of lawyers getting rich off of other peoples misfortune. I guess this is a big can of worms. I was hoping someone a whole lot smarter than I would have opened it up though. I hope Bill Von doesn't jump in on this one. Last time I tried disagreeing with him I ended up sounding a lot like Forest Gump. (Mr. Know All...Steve1)

[PhillyKev 0]

I agree with you. Violent criminals aren't serving the kind of sentences that they should. To take this thread on a copletely different tangent, I'll tell you why I think that is. Because of the drug laws.

People complain that convicted criminals are wandering the streets, yet we have the highest per capita rate of incarceration of any democratic nation. We'll never have the number of prisons necessary to keep everyone locked up for their maximum sentence, so people get off easier than they should. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a guy growing some pot in his attic living next door to me as opposed to an armed robber, rapist, or murderer.

[freebird 0]

Maybe dragging him around by his testicles with a tow truck and then leaving him to the mercy of the family may work
***

I agree

[JDBoston 0]

One thing that would be quicker, cheaper, and more fun than the death penalty for people like this guy is to just put him in gen-pop and put the word out about why he's there.

In fact, you could use the same method even for people who are just regular murderers. Put them in with the rest of the reprobates and tell everyone they're a child molester.

Joe

[billvon 2,471]

>I agree with you. Violent criminals aren't serving the kind of
> sentences that they should. To take this thread on a copletely
> different tangent, I'll tell you why I think that is. Because of the
> drug laws.

I agree that that's a problem. I think it comes from the 'war on drugs.' War is serious business, often entailing deaths, killing, bombings etc to meet our objective. Apply this to drugs and of _course_ you need stiff sentences and billions in anti-drug 'weaponry.'

I think the whole 'war on X' thing has been overplayed. It's lost its meaning. Do we really equate a drug user to someone who would kill thousands of people? (i.e. war on drugs vs war on terrorists.) It would be nice to see some sense of proportion return to drug laws.

[happythoughts 0]

"It actually costs taxpayers more to pay for the appeals process involved in a capital sentence than it would to keep him in prison the rest of his life. "
I was told that the reason Canada eliminated the death penalty was that it took 500K to keep a person in jail for life, but 2M to fight the legal battle to implement the sentence. It was cheaper to keep them in jail for life.