Illinois: Gov. Quinn (D) to sign Death Penalty repeal today

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

HP

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

HP

Do all the financial arguments, endless appeals, lack of effectivenes, etc. really not interest you? I'd think you'd be more interested in that than whether we get to kill 5 people a year or so

Mandatory life sentences costs more than ole sparky, so I'm not interested in those arguments.  The fact that some states are inept at carrying out the death penalty doesn't interest me and if it were used alot more it might have a deterrent effect so that doesn't interest me.  I've already stipulated all death penalty cases where DNA might exonerate the individual should be automatic and mandatory before carrying it out.
 
My belief, which many here disagree with is simpler than all of that - the convicted killer's death is the price society places on his/her premeditated murder of another.

Don't like all that?  I'm not intersted in your response!  

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Sounds like someone is more interested in making a point than anything else....

I've been making this point for the 1000th time we've discussed it......without much support.     

But you know I believe what I just wrote.......so

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Meh, it's not like anyone was executed in the meantime while he was waiting to sign it.

Indeed......and as Franzl noted, they so rarely use it, it's basically a symbollic repeal.  If it make Quinn and his cohorts feel good.......hey ok by me. 

There really was no need for this legislation at all.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Meh, it's not like anyone was executed in the meantime while he was waiting to sign it.

Indeed......and as Franzl noted, they so rarely use it, it's basically a symbollic repeal.  If it make Quinn and his cohorts feel good.......hey ok by me.  

There really was no need for this legislation at all.

It's absolutely not "just symbolic". It's symbolic as long as the current status quo prevails in Illinois, but the status quo changes. Previously, the death penalty could have made a comeback through a more or less unilateral decision of some future AG, which was quite realistic. One could certainly imagine Illinois electing someone who decides executions are good and that the state should start prosecuting death penalty cases more frequently. Unlike truly outdated laws, for example, old miscegenation laws that are clearly ruled unconstitutional, never enforced and never coming back (not sure there are any still on the books, but I know Alabama repealed one around 2002 or so), the death penalty statute could very well have made a comeback without legislative action.

Now it would have to go through the entire legislative process, a much less likely (although not entirely impossible) prospect.

As for other states, I believe Connecticut has been considering repeal.

12 men have been executed since 1977, none since 1999, and a moratorium was in place.  Respectfully, Verily, that sounds symbollic to me.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Gramps, it's no longer 1950s. Ole Sparky is not used in Illinois and in fact, almost anywhere

Now, injections are at the top.

Kal, thanks.......I know this.  You really struggle with American humor, eh?

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Death row was shut down today. It's completely gone.

A big DUH, considering there is no death penalty in IL now....