What punishment will the jury give Lisa Montgomery?

John Shultz has courtroom coverage of the Lisa Montgomery case, which has moved into the penalty phase. The jury should start deliberating today on whether Montgomery, who murdered Bobbie Jo Stinnett and stole her baby, should be executed. If the jurors can't all agree, Montgomery will get life without parole.

On Wednesday, the prosecution played the 911 tapes of Stinnett's mother calling for help after she discovered her daughter's body. The defense argued that Montgomery didn't completely understand what she was doing because of mental illness.

Comments

[CareBear]

I'm not much of a betting woman, but my instinct tells me the jury will go with life in prison rather than the death penalty.

[Searching]

Lets hope not. I dont want to support this woman 1 more day than I have to.

[CareBear]

I couldn't agree more Searching. However, I have a feeling the defense did just enough that the jury will sentence her to life, even though she doesn't deserve it.

And yes, I know 33 days. lol

[Searching]

CB the only thing I am counting on is that the jury was equally appauled at Bobby Jo waking up and fighting after her stomach was cut until she finally bled too much.. I think that shows just how depraved Lisa Montgomery actually is, and how gruesome this really was.

[The_Golfer]

And remember, it costs more to keep a prisoner on death row than life in prison.

Also remember, once it gets out who she is and what she did, if she is in general, she'll be dead anyway.

[CareBear]

Serching, I hope you're right. If the jury is really listening to the details, they will see that she is nothing more than a narcissist and quite possibly a sociopath (I don't think I spelled that right, sometimes brain farts happen). The other thing is if they put her on death row, how long will she be there?

[CareBear]

Sorry Searching, my a didn't appear.

[CareBear]

Dadgumit The_Golfer, why do you have to go and make more sense than me? lol

[Searching]

Well, lets see what the jury says and then if the lawyer states it is just too dangerous to put her in gen pop. Then which is the greater cost? Life in protective custody or death penalty?

[Nick]

It does not, I repeat, does not cost less to keep someone in prison than it does to execute them. Execution is a cheap one time charge.

The cost that death penalty opponents wish to attribute to the cost of incarceration are in the endless line of appeals, new trials, parasitic lawyers, phony experts, self serving nutcrackers and activist judges, who make their way by scamming the system. These costs are directly attributed to the failed justice system and have absolutely no budgetary effect on the cost of incarceration aside from transportation.
There is no measurable cost difference in housing an inmate until execution, and keeping them on administrative segregation status. Most all Max Custody facilities have this capability already. The cost of a death chamber is minimal by bureaucratic standards, coming in at less than 100 thousand dollars.

[kmb]

"The cost ... are in the endless line of appeals, new trials, parasitic lawyers, phony experts, self serving nutcrackers and activist judges.... These costs are directly attributed to the failed justice system and have absolutely no budgetary effect on the cost of incarceration aside from transportation."

Posted by: Nick | Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 08:37 AM

Nick - we the taxpayers DO pay for all that, so it DOES cost more.

[Imprtnrd]

Whatever she gets it won't be enough!!!!

[Dr]

Nick,
You are an idiot. No lawyer wants to be involved this type of case. If it paid $100,000 (it does not),the entire practice is shut down for more than a year.

Lawyers raise families, pay taxes and are valued members of society- not parisites. By the way, she deserves the death penalty.

[Nick]

No KMB it does not. You're attributing the intentional cost overruns of the judicial system to the housing. That is two entirely different budgets that death penalty opponents attempt to lump together in order to hide the true cost of housing.
I watched it for 20 years. It is an engineered falsehood akin to saying that we can't drive on highways because we contracted out maintenance, and now it's too expensive to operate.

[The_Golfer]

Hey Nick, I am a death penalty backer.

I hope she gets the needle, but if not, then do not allow her to be segregated.

But her lawyers would see that she would, see Susan Smith.

[Nick]

Dr,
If I started out my comments like you, I would be an idiot.
As for your falsified point. I laugh at you. Lawyers climb all over themselves trying to get such cases so they can stick it to the taxpayers and submit bills that stagger even fortune 500 CEO's.
As for that nonsense about lawyers being valued members of society. A few are. But, being a member of the least trusted and respected profession has to tell even the most simple of mind, as a whole this is blatantly false.
Parasite is appropriate. One who lives and thrives off the misery of others.

[Nick]

I hope she gets the needle, but if not, then do not allow her to be segregated. - Golfer

Well, being a woman she'll have a different set of standards. One way or another, as in all high profile cases, she will be admin seg for at least 6 months.

Believe it or not there are several States attempting to put even death row inmates in General Population until the PARASITES exhaust 90% of their recurring income potential.

[Blaine]

what does the cost have to do with it? I thought we were talking about justice...

I think the horror and her obvious lack of remorse may tilt the jury to death; but putting a woman to death is still a big stigma in our society.

I, personally, am anti-death penalty, but I honestly feel like that is the only just punishment.

[Onetime]

I like how they keep bringing up mental illness, she didn't understand what she was doing. Riiiight. I research how to cut out a baby, etc. etc. you can be dang sure I probably didn't learn it by accident. Even if this cow does get death, there will be appeal, denied, appeal, denied, appeal, blah blah blah. This chic should get stuck once a week with a knife until she croaks. Every night at lights out she should be played the 911 tapes. That should be her alarm in the morning too. Don't forget to plaster her tiny little cell with pictures of that baby and the moms bloody body. Then after about 20 stab wounds, let a couple of mini horse killing pit bulls be her cell mates.

[Nick]

Every night at lights out she should be played the 911 tapes. That should be her alarm in the morning too. - Onetime

Now THAT is JUSTICE!

[CareBear]

Onetime, you should bottle that and sell it! Let her be tormented until the day she dies. Sounds like something out of a Twilight Zone episode.

[onetime]

lol, CB. Sorry, I'm in a (-) mood this morning. Between illegal aliens and this...and a dead mini horse (I love mini horses) I'm just in a bad mood. I kinda went on and on a little, but can't take much more of hearing about this woman. Burn her at the stake or bring out a stoning party or something. If I end up in hell, I hope I see her.

[Laurie]

Nick,
I am not sure about this particular case, since it is federal, but most state level death penalty cases are handled by the capital division of the public defender office. The attorneys receive an annual salary, much less than most private attorneys make, and do not get any additional income per case.
I respect the fact that you don't believe in their politics, but at least be aware of the fact that most of the lawyers working on death penalty cases are not "parasites milking the system" but government employees who are probably making a financial sacrifice to do what they believe in.

[Dr]

NICK,
Still suffering from that divorce?
Could not get into law school?
Even KNOW a single lawyer?
You should see somebody about that paranoia.

SOME lawyers are as you say. Others worked hard for safer products, fair treatment for everyone under the laws and even to make your republican insurance companies pay off on promises of coverage that they refused- often at great expense to themselves and their families. Still working hard every day. Being critized by your limited-vocabulary name calling is ineffective.

Life is better than you think.

[Mickey Mouse]

Send her to the front lines overseas, if she gets bombed, no big loss!

[Nick]

Being critized by your limited-vocabulary name calling is ineffective. - Dr

LOL! My limited vocabulary? Use your real "nick" and start your comments in the usual manner please.

Life is indeed wonderful. I wake up mornings blessed with the comfort that I don't have to fleece anyone for their entire life savings.

[Nick]

Laurie,
I am aware of several differing methods that states use to assign defense in capital cases. I am also aware of the methods the assigned lawyers use to enhance their own pockets. Kick backs from experts, inflated expenses, future considerations, the whole nine yards. I worked for the state of Kansas, and know several such people. Some can't wait to get out of state service, others saw gold in the new law allowing State Employees to receive payment from third parties without public disclosure. Still others find ways to funnel the money to their own side business, in exactly the same manner a former AG did.
It is unfortunate that the legal profession allowed its members to destroy their reputation, however, this distrust is well founded and more than justified.

[Lyndsay]

You're right Nick, we should just get rid of lawyers altogether. Who needs advocacy and representation? From here on out, anyone who gets arrested goes directly to jail...who cares whether or not you did it?! We'll just take the government's word for everything...skip the whole, messy trial thing.

And statutory interpretation, we'll leave that up to the laymen--let them fend for themselves. Of course, it won't be any excuse that you couldn't understand the statute since without advocates and justices, all crimes would be strict liability.

Yeah Nick, the world you suggest sounds much more fair.

[Lyndsay]

Let's not import the unethical practices of one to the many, okay Nick?

The reality is that there are a lot of attorneys (the majority) out there who provide a much needed public service and they do so in a completely ethical manner. I highly doubt that even you would walk into a courtroom without legal representation, so why don't we get back to the actual issue here instead of attacking an entire profession?

[Sasquach]

I love that Nick can sit there and say that the death penalty is cheaper than life imprisonment, and then rattle off all of the things that make it not so because they aren't directly related to the actual administration of the punishment (even though most of them are mandated by the supreme court of either the U.S. or the state). If it is a condition of the punishment, even though it is not the concrete actually holding the cell together, it's cost can be attributed to it. So, yes executing prisoners is more expensive than housing them. That's the way it should be anyway, that way, in case we ever get so callosed that life and death is a matter of finances, we'll make sure it's worth it before we kill them.

And 90% of lawyers out there today are good people. Just because the other 10% are the only ones that make the news (or the only ones that you assocated with) doesn't mean everyone that ever practiced law was a bloodsucker.

Knowing your history here though, I don't expect you to change your tune just because someone threw some logic at you. I'll just wait for you to once again reject reality and substitute your own.

[Grumpy Grandpa]

I cannot imagine the pain of the victem, the agony of the family, or what went on in the mind of the killer. The insanity defense almost seems moot. What sane person carefully plots and plans such a crime? Killing her seems to be justified, but if she is really insane what is accomplished? If she is sane how many times will she have to relive what she did? I am responsible for the deaths of some people during Viet Nam. It was war. It was "justified". It was "them or me". But it still bothers me that somewhere there is a family that lost someone dear because of me. I say give her life without the possibility of ever seeing the sun shine without bars or walls. Let her try to come to grips with the fact that a young, inocent mother is dead. Let her imagine the problems that little girl will face in trying to understand how and why her mother died.

[JJ]

Hook up the lethal injection or at least 10-15 years after clogging up the legal system with countless appeals.

[BillV]

I think disembowelment is called for. There was to much premedatation for this to have been anything but a henious act.

[momof4]

Yea, BillV, I agree she did a hidieous thing. I have a very hard time believing she did not know what she was doing!!!!!!!!!! She drove there, & did that horrible thing, then drove back home and showed off the baby!!!! She needs to pay for what she has done. No sympathy from me. I pray she gets the death penalty.

[John B]

Off the subject, but had to reply to the comment on lawyers.

The main problem with the law profession today is the fact there are too many of them so in order to make a living to many of them are constantly trying to drum up business. People are being sold a bill of goods that they need a lawyer to do just about anything.

My brother is a lawyer and his firm puts constant pressure on all their attorneys to increase billable hours.

Do you need a lawyer to get divorced. I would say no. I was divorced a year ago and neither my wife or I used an attorney. (We had one child, a home, dual retirements, I owned my own business, etc.) Fro mwhat I heard from my friends their attorneys were often impediments to settling as it is the the lawyers interest to go to trail. to drag things out, etc. My divorce cost me less then $600 total.

I sold my own house and used a contract available form the state - no lawyer fees. I draft my own contracts for my company all of which include binding arbitration in the event of a dispute.

[LastNegroStanding]

I hope she gets the needle..and soon.

The death penalty should be revamped..these clowns should be cooked within 12 months of conviction

[StrugglingWithInsanityPlea]

Insane? Please, she jokes on the phone with her husband about ways to "Mess with psychologists". She takes rope and tape to Bobbie Jo's house after corresponding with her under an alias...mind you she already KNEW her from the dog circuit and made an appointment to see her...did she really think that Bobbie Jo wouldn't know who she was???? And this wasn't premeditated? She didn't know what she was doing? Dang, sound pretty premeditated to me.....

[Melissa]

Death row inmates are segregated from everyone!! There is a separate section for death row inmates. Then, each inmate is held in a separate cell. Each inmate is allowed 1 hr. outside their cell a day - by themselves.

[deadhead]

God bless the child.

[private-eye]

Forget death row, take the demon from the court room straight to the death chamber, problem solved.
Let us all pray for peace, happiness and a sort of normalcy in the Stinnett family.