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NJ Comm'n Recommends End to Death Penalty

By TChris, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 05:03:07 PM EST
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A legislative commission in New Jersey has recommended that the state abolish its death penalty. The recommendation enjoys the support of Gov. John Corzine. It's also supported by experience and common sense.

With just one of its 13 members dissenting, the commission said there was “no compelling evidence” that the death penalty served a legitimate purpose and increasing evidence that it “is inconsistent with evolving standards of decency.” The panel recommended replacing capital punishment with the sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Publicity about the plague of wrongful convictions that DNA evidence has revealed provides a strong impetus for New Jersey to abandon death as a punishment. The question now is whether state legislators will follow the commission's advice. If you live in New Jersey, you can help by telling your legislator that you support abolishing the death penalty.

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    NJ Comm'n Recommends End to Death Penalty | 22 comments (22 topical)

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    Really? (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by scarshapedstar on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 06:03:42 PM EST
    That takes away the strongest argument against the death penalty.

    Whatever happened to "Thou shall not kill"?

    Morality (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by Jen M on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 11:54:30 PM EST
    isnt just a religious trait.

    A lack of moral however is kind of a trait of psychopaths

    Parent

    Every (4.00 / 1) (#21)
    by aw on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 09:58:31 PM EST
    killing doesn't yield DNA evidence.

    Parent
    No (4.00 / 1) (#22)
    by scarshapedstar on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 11:44:43 PM EST
    However, executing verified 100% guilty murderers, child killers and scums like that makes the world a better place.

    I really don't see how it's any better than keeping them locked away forever. And I don't care if the victims demand retribution in the false hope that it will bring them relief. It's not their right to do so.

    Parent

    Perhaps (none / 0) (#5)
    by aw on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 06:55:06 PM EST
    you're thinking of Harris County (Houston, TX) where the medical examiners DNA lab produced such shoddy work, they are reviewing thousands of cases (not just death penalty cases.)

    Parent
    In narius' mind (none / 0) (#6)
    by Edger on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 07:09:06 PM EST
    moral arguments mean nothing, and are not strong enough to overcome certainty that someone was guilty. Guilty = "must die" in his world, even though he becomes a killer too. But he is still innocent... or something... ummm... well... or something.

    Parent
    "No mistake" (none / 0) (#9)
    by scarshapedstar on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 07:26:27 PM EST
    You make an excellent point. Furthermore, despite prosecutors' love of phrases like "1 in ten trillion!" when talking about DNA evidence, it is not perfectly accurate.

    As a biology student, I'm torn between feeling relieved that apparent conservatives are trusting science once again (although it'd be nice to get an official acknowledgement that people weren't riding dinosaurs through the Grand Canyon while the pyramids were being built) and a sinking feeling that, like Iraqi WMDs, it's just another throwaway rationale for the abominable practice of taking human life as a quick pick-me-up.

    Parent

    Why (none / 0) (#24)
    by Edger on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 12:04:07 AM EST
    do you want them executed?

    Parent
    No death penalty (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by koshembos on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 07:14:11 PM EST
    Following a murder by a "justified" killing, i.e. capital punishment, is still a killing. We either value human life or we qualify it. I believe that death penalty is totally and absolutely unjustified and should be abolished.
    Excellent news (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Al on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 08:09:26 PM EST
    Let's hope civilization will prevail. And let's hope the example spreads.

    It is wrong to kill people and if you (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by JSN on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 08:34:13 PM EST
    kill someone we will kill you. I have always thought that something was wrong with that school of thought.

    The State kills people because;

    1. we are mad at them
    2. we are afraid of them (even though they in jail and are not able to harm us)
    3. to prevent them from killing or seriously injuring another person
    4. as a deterrent to crime
    5. as just retribution (this implies a theocracy)
    6. as consequence of conducting a war (No doubt some will object to this being listed because they consider it to be justifiable homicide).
    7. for treason

    That is about the reasons all I can