Woman who lied about rape asks for 'bygones to be bygones'

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Phillips; murderers, rapists, child molesters, and traitors in some instances all deserve to die.

I do not believe so.

No amount of punishment will undo a crime that has been done, a dead man can neither feel remorse nor make restitution - and more importantly, someone has to have the task of killing them.

I killed a sheep once - worst bloody thing I ever did, I can't imagine killing a person would be any easier, no matter what they had done.

After all, what's the difference between a murderer and a executioner especially if, as in the UK, many of the people executed are subsequently found to be innocent. I think the last three people executed here in the 60's have since been aquitted.

[rajpoot]

I do not believe so.

No amount of punishment will undo a crime that has been done, a dead man can neither feel remorse nor make restitution - and more importantly, someone has to have the task of killing them.

I think this has moved into 'whether or not capital punishment is justified' territory.

When a criminal is given death sentence, it serves more than one purpose. It's done so that others who might wander onto a similar path in the future think twice before doing it.
It also provides some measure of contentment/closure to the victim's family.
And lastly it is a punishment for the accused. That their crime was so grievous that they no longer deserves to live amongst people.

I am not saying death sentences should be passed lightly. But they have an important part to play in justice. Also such punishments are given only after much deliberation because of the reasons you mention.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I think this has moved into 'whether or not capital punishment is justified' territory.

When a criminal is given death sentence, it serves more than one purpose. It's done so that others who might wander onto a similar path in the future think twice before doing it.
It also provides some measure of contentment/closure to the victim's family.
And lastly it is a punishment for the accused. That their crime was so grievous that they no longer deserves to live amongst people.

I am not saying death sentences should be passed lightly. But they have an important part to play in justice. Also such punishments are given only after much deliberation because of the reasons you mention.

I have heard this argument before - but I don't believe a word of it.

Despite capital punishment in the US, and elsewhere, people still commit murders. There are more murders in New York city every year than London, sometimes double, despite capital punishment. It is therefore not an effective deterrent because people who commit murderes just don't think in terms of deterrent.

Closure for the family - Perhaps, but as a counterpoint to that someone must carry out the execution, and someone else must pass the sentence. Hanging is a skilled profession and our hangmen here were consumate professional and a sympathetic to their charges as they could be - more than one of them was also suicidal.

Finally punishment - there are two objections here. The first is that innocent men can, and will, be executed and then something as heinous as the original crime has been inflicted on them and their families by the state. Also, see point two. Secondly, there is something to be said for a poltical settlement which outlaws State sanctioned homocide.

Are you aware that there is no country in Western, Southern or Central Europe which uses capital punishment? We manage just fine.

[drone]

Despite capital punishment in the US, and elsewhere, people still commit murders. There are more murders in New York city every year than London, sometimes double, despite capital punishment. It is therefore not an effective deterrent because people who commit murderes just don't think in terms of deterrent.

You need a better comparison. The last execution in the state of New York was 1963. After the 1976 federal reinstatement, capital punishment in NY remained in hiatus until Gov. Pataki reinstated it in 1995, but no one was executed and it was judged unconstitutional (state) in 2004.

[Sir Moody]

while his comparison is off (even I know NYC hasn't executed anyone in decades) but the most important point is still totally valid

no matter how rigorous the legal system mistakes are made and innocent people are sent to jail - the Death sentence can and has been given to innocent people who are then "murdered" by the state for crimes they didn't commit - you only need to look at the case of Derek Bentley from the UK to see the flaws (and I am sure there are some cases from one of the states which does execute say Texas that our US friends would know of)

until we develop a method of 100% assessing guilt I will oppose any of the groups in the UK which are trying to bring the Death Penalty back (thankfully they don't have popular support) purely for that reason

[drone]

while his comparison is off (even I know NYC hasn't executed anyone in decades) but the most important point is still totally valid

Not arguing the issue of wrongful convictions, but if he is going to argue that the death penalty is not a deterrent, he needs to pick a jurisdiction that actually has the death penalty. Many of the high-density population centers in the US are in states with no death penalty: Detroit, DC, New York, Boston, Chicago. Worthless anectodal example: I live in the greater DC/Baltimore sprawl. DC has no death penalty, Maryland has currently suspended executions (and rarely used it anyway), while Virginia is second behind Texas in executions since the 1976 reinstatement. It's waaay better living on the Virginia side of the Potomac.