Compassion. Rick Perry style

Schizophrenic killer executed after Perry denies requested stay.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/2577177

Rick Perry is one sick son of a *itch. The Board of Pardons and Parole voted 5-1 to reduce the mans sentence to life in prison, or delay it by 150 days.

Perry denied the recommendation and had the mentally ill man executed.

I think Rick brings new meaning to the phrase "mean spirited".

but I support the death penalty. Even for the mentally retarded, and some minors.

you're sick.

He didn't laugh like Bush would.

It is so rare that the Board of Pardons recommends a reduction in sentence that I assumed that Goodhair would do the right thing. I was proven wrong.

Perry is a sick person.

We need a jury to be fully informed about the impact of their decision. I don't practice criminal law, so I hope that someone will correct me if I am wrong here. But it is my understanding that a jury must first decide the issue of death without being informed what other sentences are available. In essence, the jury is blindly rendering the most important decision in our jury system!

Even the current USSC has issued veiled warnings to the state on the need to reform our death penalty procedures. That alone should tell you how bad our system is.

If that's true, that is terrible. I do know that juries are not told that Life with parole means parole after 40 years, so sometimes the jurors are misled into thinking someone could be paroled after a short time.

:hi: Nice to see you again - have you kicked that kid out yet?

ever want an informed jury? If they actually knew that someone would spend at least 40 years in prison (or at least 20 years, or that sentences would run consecutively, or...) they might not be so willing to vote for death. And we can't have that, now can we?


:hi: David. Yes- almost 2 months ago. I wish I knew how to post pics. He is of course just beautiful! (not that I'm biased or anything :-) )

just post the URL. I hear www.photobucket.com works well.

Congratulations!!!! I'm really happy for you!

My news: I'm thisclose to being a homeowner. Just waiting for final approval on the mortgage and I'm there.

I think... I guess that means you're staying in Texas? I am glad that we get to keep a nice liberal guy like yourself- we need all the moderate to left leaning people we can keep!

Now you can actually plant a garden and grow some veggies- there is nothing better than home grown tomatoes. (my friends tell me I sound like an 80 year old woman when I talk about gardening!)

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. :)

And thanks for the information about pictures. I'll gice it a try when I have some free time in 3 or 4 years. ;-)

But doesn't a jury have a pretty good idea of what a death sentence entails?

Yes, they know what death means. But at the time they vote on death or not, they don't actually know what the "or not" part means. Will the defendant spend 40 years in prison? 80 years? Or only 10? If there is more than one crime involved, will the sentences run consecutively or concurrently?

From what I understand, there are a number of questions which remain unanswered until AFTER the jury decides the issue of death- but I could be wrong about this. We need a good criminal defense atty here to help us!

He could at least delayed the execution. He certainly had the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Parole to do that.

This is why this state is so screwed up right now. We have a vindictive hateful repuke controlled Lege and Governor who don't give a damn about the poor, the children or following any moral law. There is no doubt with the Supreme Court ruling that the mentally ill should not be executed. Rick just doesn't give a shit.

The most disturbing thing about the death penalty in Texas is it is fraught with errors. We have killed innocent people. Kelsey Patterson wasn't innocent but he was mentally incompetent.

This from the Texas Moratorium Network
"Mental retardation - On June 20, 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing people with mental retardation violates the U.S. Constitution's 8th Amendment prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishment", so now such executions are banned in every state. Texas has executed six people with mental retardation since 1982."

Get some more disturbing stats on the compassionate state of Texas death penalty here:
The Death Penalty System in Texas
http://texasmoratorium.org/mod.php?mod=userpage&menu=13&page_id=19&group=3

Sonia