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Murder Victim's Family Rejects Death Penalty

By TChris, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 12:42:18 PM EST
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A former police chief who was convicted of murdering his ex-wife has been spared the death penalty.

After listening to the wishes of the victim’s family, Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini withdrew his plan to seek the death penalty and recommended the defendant receive life imprisonment without parole for murdering his ex-wife.

It's always heartening to see a murder victim's family choose to set aside the natural desire for "life for a life" vengeance and to accept confinement as an appropriate punishment.

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    Murder Victim's Family Rejects Death Penalty | 19 comments (19 topical)

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    I think it's more likely (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by Nadai on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:22:27 PM EST
    that a 10-year old girl didn't want her daddy executed, and her grandparents went along with it for her sake.  And while I'm not a fan of the death penalty, the guy repulses me.  His "apology" is disgusting.

    "I just wish the events on Aug. 24, 2005, could have been different," Curran said... "I didn't use common sense that day or I wouldn't have been subjected to this type of crime. I should have had the appropriate restraint to deal with it, and I overreacted...My future was destroyed over a matter of a couple minutes."

    You'd think he was the victim.

    He is. (none / 0) (#6)
    by Fabian on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 02:09:35 PM EST
    He's also the perpetrator.

    The thing is that any peace officer should be trained in how and why to use lethal force and how and why NOT to use lethal force.

    "I was angry." is not an acceptable reason.  AFAIK, the usual standard is a threat to someone's safety or life.  The threat of increased child support payments does not fall into that category.

    In good news, he is no longer in law enforcement.

    Parent

    While I Am Glad (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by The Maven on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:24:29 PM EST
    to hear of this, I have to admit that I remain very uncomfortable with having the victim's family playing any real role at all in the decision.  The standard for criminal prosecutions should always be "Equal Justice Under Law", which ought not permit victims or their families to actively participate in sentencing decisions.  This alters the administration of 'justice' to one of vengeance and/or retribution.  Certain types of victims -- more sympathetic, more beloved by others -- cause the perpetrators of crimes against them to receive considerably harsher sentences, which removes the 'equal' reference from the principle as well.

    This should not be read, however, as an argument for removal of all discretion in determining the proper form of punishment and in favor of inflexibility (I've seen the perverse effect of New York State's Rockefeller drug sentencing laws).  But on the whole, I'm not in favor of allowing victims to get involved in this kind of strategic decision-making.

    That being said, in this kind of instance, consulting the family of a murder victim (presumably before the commencement of any trial) as to whether to even seek the death penalty does seem to be appropriate.  Of course, if we were a more civilized nation, there would be no possibility of the death penalty to begin with for crimes such as this one.

    Query: how often does the (none / 0) (#1)
    by oculus on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:13:38 PM EST
    proscuting agency defer to the victim's family regarding whether to seek the death penalty?  Might the fact the perp. was a police chief have entered into the decision here?

    May he rot in jail. (none / 0) (#2)
    by Fabian on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:13:46 PM EST
    I read a little of the back story.

    She was killed because of a disagreement over child support.  

    She's not the first and won't be the last.

    May he repent (none / 0) (#7)
    by jondee on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 04:09:40 PM EST
    in jail. How about that?

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    I'd be perfectly happy (none / 0) (#9)
    by Fabian on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 04:25:54 PM EST
    if he became a Buddhist.  One jealous boyfriend killed his gf's lover.  Totally premeditated - learned about the lover, bought the gun, walked into  his business and shot him down.  

    Went to prison, repented, is doing something like 20 years minimum and is a sincere practicing Buddhist.

    It'd be great if every convicted murderer did that, but it's not the model citizens who land in prison and murder isn't a crime generally committed in a generous spirit.  

    Parent

    Needless to say (none / 0) (#10)
    by jondee on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 04:39:08 PM EST
    I had a friend who did 15 in Attica (was there during the uprising), who told me that if people people knew the number of basically decent people who were there because of a single moment of madness or desperation, it would probobly alter alot of peoples perspective.

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    They broke the social contract. (none / 0) (#12)
    by Fabian on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 04:58:19 PM EST
    I'm not sure about the other religions, but the Bible includes the story of Cain and Abel early on as an example of murder and punishment.  Granted, the Old Testament is big on smiting, but even the New Testament has Jesus forgiving many sins, but murder is not among them.  

    Outside of culturally sanctioned murders (which I find inexcusable), no civil society makes a habit of forgiving murder.

    Parent

    Jesus didn't forgive murder? (none / 0) (#18)
    by txpublicdefender on Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 10:54:16 AM EST
    I don't know where you get your information, but Jesus never categorically excluded murder from the things one was required to forgive.  Quite the contrary.  His greatest act of forgiveness was in asking his Father to forgive those who were murdering him.  Many biblical historians also argue that the two men on the crosses next to Jesus were murderers, not mere "theives" as described.  And he forgave one, assuring him that he would see him in Paradise.  

    And the NT specifically enumerates what is an unpardonable sin, and murder was not it.

    Parent

    Eveybody should (none / 0) (#16)
    by Wile ECoyote on Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 05:24:51 AM EST
    get one murder for free.  

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    When I last visited my buddy... (none / 0) (#17)
    by kdog on Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 10:40:16 AM EST
    locked up at Mohawk Correctional, while looking around the large visiting room with all the inmates and their families I couldn't help but wonder how many of them were victims of circumstances or a moment of weakness or madness...and were at heart decent people.

    Then there was my old man who did time in Rikers, he was one of the most decent human beings I have ever known.  And he used to say basically the same thing, of all the guys he did time with only a small percentage were rotten to the core...the rest were basically decent people.

    It's a travesty we haven't come up with a better way to deal with crime and punishment in thousands of years of existence.

    Parent

    "Natural" (none / 0) (#5)
    by pluege on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:57:57 PM EST
    there is NOTHING natural about wanting the death of another human being. Quite the contrary, it is evidence of a stilted, psychotic, unnaturally violent and blood thirsty pysche that should have us all concerned.

    Judging by how many (none / 0) (#8)
    by jondee on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 04:14:11 PM EST
    "liberals' here are talking up Mr Four More Wars, Im starting to think it IS natural.

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    It's just the most selfish (none / 0) (#11)
    by Fabian on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 04:39:23 PM EST
    act imaginable.  The most profound statement of "I am more important than you.".

    That's a perfectly human trait.  We constantly struggle against our own self centeredness and selfishness.  From simple greed to larger acts of tribalism, we are always finding ways to rationalize claiming more resources, prestige and power for ourselves and our chosen clans.

    We recognize that murder is not only violence against an individual, but against the cultural norms that we voluntarily agree to.  All crimes are like that, they victimize an both individual and the culture and society that we depend on.

    In that respect, it is natural that we will always be tempted to minimize the harm to someone else if we benefit directly or indirectly from it.  When it harms us is when we protest loudest.  

    Parent

    nothing natural? (none / 0) (#19)
    by txpublicdefender on Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 10:56:44 AM EST
    I think it is perfectly natural.  Of course, being natural doesn't make it right.  Part of the reason for having codes of conduct in a civilized society is to reign in behavior that is natural but that threatens society and order.

    Parent
    Police chief in prison? (none / 0) (#13)
    by QuakerInABasement on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 09:12:52 PM EST
    A former police chief in prison? There may well be days ahead when he wishes the sentencing decision had gone against him.

    "life without parole" (none / 0) (#14)
    by diogenes on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 09:46:45 PM EST
    In about ten years, HIS family will begin making requests for commutation because he is a "model" prisoner who has "truly" changed.  He might even become a Buddhist.  He might even be released from prison.  This killing was particularly cold-blooded and a police chief who kills his ex-wife in a child support dispute (while having a ten year old daughter) will always be a high risk for violence on the outside.
    Hopefully a victims rights project will follow this one when the requests for clemency start, because in fact the perp's voice drowns out all others about ten years into the sentence.
    And people who act in a "single moment of madness", unless they kill someone, usually get probation, or plea bargains if they have clean prior histories.  And lots of criminals commit many crimes before getting CAUGHT for one that leads to prison time, although when I interview prisoners they seem to have a very selective memory about prior criminal acts or even convictions.

    Nothin' says lovin' (none / 0) (#15)
    by alexaii on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 11:30:37 PM EST
    like betraying a family member who's been murdered.

    Murder Victim's Family Rejects Death Penalty | 19 comments (19 topical)

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