SCOTUS knocks down death penalty for raping children - says it is not a "proportional punishment"

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

In a 5-4 vote, the court says the law allowing the death penalty to be imposed in cases of child rape violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

"The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his majority opinion. His four liberal colleagues joined him, while the four more conservative justices dissented.

There has not been an execution in the United States for a crime that did not also involve the death of the victim in 44 years.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080625/ap_on_...u_co/scotus_rdp

[Nagishkaw 510]

This is just nuts!

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Does the Justice have grandchildren? What a dimwit.

And mind you, I am against the DP.

Edited June 25, 2008 by Len_and_Bren

[Ban Hammer 13,356]

eta: just put the perp in gp, they'll take care of it for those scotus nutless wonders.

Edited June 25, 2008 by charlesandnessa

[payxibka 10,045]

and one does not even have to look to know which justices are in the five vs. who the four are.

Edited June 25, 2008 by fwaguy

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

There has not been an execution in the United States for a crime that did not also involve the death of the victim in 44 years.

If that's true - people shouldn't really be surprised by this...

[payxibka 10,045]

There has not been an execution in the United States for a crime that did not also involve the death of the victim in 44 years.

If that's true - people shouldn't really be surprised by this...

and there are only two inmates on death row (out of approx 3300 +/-) with a death sentence for a crime that did not involve a killing, and they are both child rapes, and both in Louisiana

Edited June 25, 2008 by fwaguy

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

There has not been an execution in the United States for a crime that did not also involve the death of the victim in 44 years.

If that's true - people shouldn't really be surprised by this...

Sure, but the rapists of children are considered worthy of the death penalty by many.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

There has not been an execution in the United States for a crime that did not also involve the death of the victim in 44 years.

If that's true - people shouldn't really be surprised by this...

Sure, but the rapists of children are considered worthy of the death penalty by many.

Certainly - but it kinda suggests there's more to this ruling than "those dastardly liberals". Clearly there's an established precedent in regard to what type of crimes merit the death penalty and which don't.

[natty bumppo 297]

There has not been an execution in the United States for a crime that did not also involve the death of the victim in 44 years.

If that's true - people shouldn't really be surprised by this...

Sure, but the rapists of children are considered worthy of the death penalty by many.

just put the rapists of children in general lockup ... the system will work things out saving taxpayers lots of $$$$

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

There has not been an execution in the United States for a crime that did not also involve the death of the victim in 44 years.

If that's true - people shouldn't really be surprised by this...

Sure, but the rapists of children are considered worthy of the death penalty by many.

Certainly - but it kinda suggests there's more to this ruling than "those dastardly liberals". Clearly there's an established precedent in regard to what type of crimes merit the death penalty and which don't.

Probably. There usually is.

[Jack and Barbara 0]

Life in prison is justice enough

Edited June 25, 2008 by Jack and Barbara

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Life in prison is justice enough

Is it?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

just put the rapists of children in general lockup ... the system will work things out saving taxpayers lots of $$$$

Canada should have done this to Cliff Olson (serial murderer of Vancouver children--still incarcerated, and delusional) and Harry Smeltzer (convicted rightly of the murder of a Calgary 5-year-old).

[HAL 9000 96]

Not much of a slippery slope... with children I think a society has to draw an absolute line that is not to be crossed. Harming the innocent is tantamount to displaying an utter contempt of innocence and life- and may be justifiable to some to deprive such brazen animals of their lives.