Federal Judge Rules California Death Penalty Unconstitutional

[MaxQue]

At most, I could see specific cases that have been excessively dragged out being struck down by the courts while leaving open the possibility that once the kinks in its system are straightened out, California would be able to resume implementation of the death penalty.

If that happens, I suspect than some representatives and senators may decide to do like Canada did for abortion. Having the court saying to rewrite the law, but failing to pass another law about it.

Would be de facto abolition, without the negative consequences on them.

[MaxQue]

Is America set to join the rest of the civilised world???

5 decades too late.

Didn't Breivik get about 20 years paid vacation in a comfortable and well furnished "cell"? Perhaps America is better off not joining this.

Yeah right, we should barbarically and painfully murder dozens of people (a good share of which end up being innocent) each years just so we can have our little vengeance against one person. That's definitely the right way to settle public policy issues.

Not that the American justice system is perfect (or anywhere close to it), but I'm pretty sure most normal people would find mass murderers and terrorists living a life of luxury for a couple decades in exchange for their crimes to be completely repugnant.

It's a principle question for us. State shouldn't play to God, State shouldn't execute people.

Sure, you're free to handpick one extreme case, but I'm sure than we can find tens of cases where an innocent in USA was executed, which is the other extreme.