Injection of Reflection

Once again If you are going to tell me that some of the individuals do not deserve to suffer. they do not deserve to die. Then I will tell you, you have no idea what you are talking about. many of these convicted criminals are wouth redemption they are beyond reform. to be reformed you would first need to feal guilt for what you have done. they have not guilt they have no remorce. you speak of cost to execute the person but what this story fails to mention is the cost to keep them allive. the cost to execute them would be far less if there were not so many people in this world who think they have more rights than the people they killed. imagine the pain suffering and utter fear a 10 year girl must feal while being raped and killed then tell me they have the rights you mention

If they killed someone they have to pay . That s very fair for some one pass away... I know thats a hard lesson for those evil but they get what they done for others people.That also a lesson for other people to learned or to see before they start to do stupid thing a for anyone else.

2008 Presidential Candidate Weekly Poll

A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. Modern society has the means of protecting itself, without definitively denying criminals the chance to reform. I renew the appeal I made most recently at Christmas for a consensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary. (Pope John Paul II, St. Louis, MO, January 1999)

OK here is the deal. I have read many of the comments below and as well as posting my own comments I have to point out that this whole argument that the death penalty is wrong because humanity is barbaric and immoral is only valid if the people making these comments are also willing to admit that they are part of humanity and thus barbaric and immoral themselves. This should really not be a surprise to anyone since we glorify violence on an epic scale. If this were not the case movie like Saw and Jackass would simply not exist. We love violence and we love watching other people in pain. Using this as an argument is simply insane. If we were not a barbaric race we would not have murder, rape and other violent crimes. Maybe you few are the ones that have not inherited these tendencies from our ancient ancestry. Then again maybe you watch ultimate fighter on Friday night and get exited every time a person starts to bleed.

OK here is the deal. I have read many of the comments below and as well as posting my own comments I have to point out that this whole argument that the death penalty is wrong because humanity is barbaric and immoral is only valid if the people making these comments are also willing to admit that they are part of humanity and thus barbaric and immoral themselves. This should really not be a surprise to anyone since we glorify violence on an epic scale. If this were not the case movie like Saw and Jackass would simply not exist. We love violence and we love watching other people in pain. Using this as an argument is simply insane. If we were not a barbaric race we would not have murder, rape and other violent crimes. Maybe you few are the ones that have not inherited these tendencies from our ancient ancestry. Then again maybe you watch ultimate fighter on Friday night and get exited every time a person starts to bleed.

Were to Start? This is just a broke sprocket in a justice system that does not turn anymore. The justice system must get a complete overhaul if we are to survive as a country. Capital punishment is a necessary evil. This should not even be a difficult choice. If a prisoners sentence results in a life sentence with no option for parole then an execution should take place. This should be an immediate and final response. This can only take place though after other problems are fixed. There is no such thing as justice anymore. The process of determining who is innocent and who is guilty is now based on fiction and has nothing to do with fact. A lawyer should not be allowed to have crucial evidence removed from the case based on technicalities and legal maneuvering. If a young girl is raped and the DNA evidence is removed from the case because the lawyer argues that the DNA sample was collected with out the proper paper work this is not justice. If a person is wrongfully convicted because the evidence to clear his name is blocked there is no justice. These are the things that must be fixed before we can tolerate the death penalty. The justice system is simply broke. It no longer functions to the purpose it was intended by our founding fathers and must be corrected. The reason lawyers and judges are so reluctant to use capital punishment is because they acknowledge that the system is broke. They have no idea if the person is guilty or innocent and after the legal maneuvering is done the only impression anyone is left with is one that clear shows justice is dead. If the figure of justice were created today this would not be a blind lady holding the scales this would be a half blind half deaf person who can have the scales tipped with the correct maneuver or dare I say the right amount of money.

I, and my family, have been waiting for justice to take affect for close to 25 years. John Visciotti murdered my 22 yr old brother November 8, 2002. He was sentenced October 21, 1983; and received on death row October 26, 1983. There has been NO activity to move the process along. The US Supreme Court reversed the Ninth Circuit Court's ruling on the penalty phase in the later part of 2002. However, Visciotti and his counsel contends that the Ninth Circuit still has to rule on the same issue, ineffective counsel at the penalty phase, based on matters not considered in the US Supreme Court's opinion. In 2003, the Ninth Circuit ordered briefing to see if there was further for them to decide - this briefing was completed that summer AND they still have not decided, thus the case has not been remanded back to the District Court for further proceedings. Last year, Judge Real set this case for evidentiary hearing on three issues: ineffective assistance of counsel at the penalty phase (again), preservation of Visciotti's blood sample, and constitutionality of lethal injection. This first issue, ineffective assistance of counsel at the penalty phase was already decided by the US Supreme Court in 2002 (they still are the higher court, right?); we filed a petition for write of mandate with the Ninth Circuit asking the court to vacate the order. We, again, had to get the Supreme court to step in, and the Supreme Court stayed the hearing and sent it back to the Ninth Circuit for a final ruling. All briefing in the Ninth Circuit was completed in June 2007 - we are waiting for a ruling form the Ninth Circuit...and most likely, whoever loses will appeal to the Supreme Court - again! And now we await to see what the Supreme Courts ruling will be on the constitutionality of lethal injection? This entire process is hopeless and far too frustrating on a murdered victim's family. Our system basically caters to the guilty and not the innocent. I only wish to have had 25 more years with my brother, Timothy Dykstra NOT 25 years of anguish and hurt. The State appellate courts have rules requiring decisions to be made within a specified period - where are the rules for the Federal Courts? Oh right, they have none! Someone get them off their "collective arses" and get this system working.

Waiting on Justice...waiting to say farewell to a cold blooded killer! I, and my family, have been waiting for justice to take affect for close to 25 years. John Visciotti murdered my 22 yr old brother November 8, 2002. He was sentenced October 21, 1983; and received on death row October 26, 1983. There has been NO activity since last year; unless of course you want to call senseless apeals activity (tax payers dollars at therir best). The US Supreme Court reversed the Ninth Circuit Court's ruling on the penalty phase in the later part of 2002. However, Visciotti and his counsel contends that the Ninth Circuit still has to rule on the same issue, ineffective counsel at the penalty phase, based on matters not considered in the US Supreme Court's opinion. Last year, Judge Real (Ninth Circuit Court Judge)set this case for evidentiary hearing on three issues: ineffective assistance of counsel at the penalty phase, preservation of the killer's blood sample, and constitutionality of lethal injection. The DA's office believes that the first issue, ineffective assistance of counsel at the penalty phase, was already decided by the United States Supreme Court in 2002, and have filed a petition for writ of mandate with the Ninth Circuit asking that court to vacate the order for
the evidentiary hearing. They had to get the Supreme Court to step in, and the Supreme Court stayed the hearing and sent it back to the Ninth Circuit for a final ruling. All briefing in the Ninth Circuit was
completed on June 22, 2007. We are waiting for a ruling from the Ninth Circuit, in the case identified above. Most likely, whoever loses that ruling will appeal to the Supreme Court. This entire process is hopeless and far too frustrating on the victim's family. Our system basically caters to the guilty and not the innocent. I only wish to have had 25 more years with my brother, Timothy Dykstra NOT 25 years of anguish and hurt. The State appellate courts have rules requiring decisions to be made within a specified period - where are the rules for the Federal Courts? Oh yeh, they have none! Someone get them off their "collective arses" and get this system working.