How do we fix Kansas' death penalty?

Reading through the Eagle's piece this weekend, it's easy to understand why victims' families are frustrated. Kansas reinstated the death penalty in 1994 and has executed prisoners a grand total of zero times since then. In fact, the first person condemned under the renewed death penalty, back in 1996, probably has another 10 years of appeals ahead of him. Officials estimate that a death sentence costs 16 times what it costs to imprison someone for life. Victims' families would like to see the process move faster, but on the other hand, nobody wants to take the risk of accidentally executing an innocent person, either.

Comments

[Pub 17]

I think we should keep the primary goal in mind: we need to teach our children well that neither a victim's family nor society can rest until we exact revenge on a perpetrator. Removing them from the world of law-abiding citizens is absolutely unsatisfying to our need for vengeance, to make them suffer as they make us suffer. Common decency demands it. Real justice would involve various levels of judicially-prescribed torture as well: quick execution is much too good for so many of these evildoers. Who wants to be like those effeminate Amish who openly and publicly forgave the moron who opened fire in one of their schools at Nickel Mines in 2006? Dimwitted losers actually gave money to his widow and children, instead of demanding that they be buried to their necks in anthills. Jesus is so going to whup their sissy butts when they stand before the throne of God.

[The return of Patman]

To answer the question, you put them to death immediately.

From the courtroom, to the gallows.

[Abolitionist]

Hello,

The death penalty is NOT A DETERRENT AT ALL(see Texas with over 400 executions!); it is often used for poor/minority people who cannot afford a good defense (HOW NEUTRAL/OBJECTIVE/COMPETENT is a jury of average citizens???); INNOCENT EXECUTED PEOPLE CANNOT BE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE; it is INCOMPATIBLE with modern industrialized democracies (only the USA, Singapore, Japan [KEIKO CHIBA, the new Justice Minister, wants discussion/moratorium/abolition], and--with a JUST PROLONGUED MORATORIUM--South Korea still have it). This year, about 10 US States have wanted to abolish the death penalty, and it is a shame that so far ONLY ONE, NEW MEXICO, has really done so.
Kansas and New Hampshire have had no executions since the reintroduction of the death penalty, and they should continue this policy. THE ONLY POSSIBILITY TO FIX THE DEATH PENALTY IS ITS ABOLITION!!!
I hope many US States and countries will follow New Mexico's example.

Many greetings, :)

ABOLITIONIST

[Gubment Cheese]

I always thought the government should set up a Death Penalty Appeals court that hears nothing but death penalty appeals. The condemned and their attorneys would have one year from the time of their sentencing to successfully appeal. If you can't prove your appeal was necessary in one year to a court that hears nothing but death row appeals, then apparently your appeal isn't that strong and the lower court probably got it right.

Just remember chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes make an excellent last meal. Make sure to ask your victims family for forgiveness and breathe deeply.

[Tim P]

Cases with DNA evidence should have increased priority in the appeals process. Get those moving and shaking... then spend more time on cases that are more questionable. Creating some type of priority system would improve the system.

[Unbelievable]

"Real justice would involve various levels of judicially-prescribed torture"

Yeah that sounds like the direction a civilized country should head toward. How about just bring back stoning, maybe drawn & quartered, burned at the stake? Personally for those who wish someone death for their crime, should be the ones to exact it. I mean whats real justice unless you can tear the flesh from their bodies yourself?? Perhaps have an entire community participate, a single needle for each person to stab into the criminal.Compassion is for pansies.

[Marvin]

1. The death penalty isn't a deterrent.
2. It costs more to keep inmates in the appeals loop and on death row. And, we have such an expensive appeals loop because...
3. Our justice system is far from perfect. Illinois audited it's death penalty system and found that ~50% were being exonerated and set free.

I like the death penalty in theory. In practice, it's stupid.

[Tom K]

I think that the Amish were right and that it was very brave of them. The shooter's widow and her children were hurt as badly as the families of the shooting victims were. They also lost a wage-earner.

Repaying violence with violence causes more violence and violence is an addiction. Someone has to break the cycle of violence. The shooter certainly isn't going to do that.

[damon]

Pub 17. If only I could be so sarcastic.

funny read.

[Man in a Mission]

The death penalty has a simple appeal to the public - it is the ultimate incapacitator. However, it also has the major flaw of not allowing any recourse, should, once the sentence is carried out, an individual is found to be improperly convicted.

It is easy to look at the long and expensive process and deem it a failure. It is also easy in this day and age to say that only cases where DNA evidence exists should we consider appeals and then on an expedited basis. However, DNA is one of the tools of exoneration available in a criminal case. Recently there was a case in Missouri, where a man Joshua Kezer was exonerated without the use of DNA evidence after 15 years had passed.

There is an incredible body of evidence from studies that shows the death penalty is pursued disproportionately. If one is a minority, especially a minority whose victims are white, one is more likely to face the death penalty. Men are more likely to face the death penalty than women for the same or similar crimes, even in cases where the woman was an equal or dominate actor in a crime alongside a man. Poor people charged with crimes where the facts of the case are the same or similar to those where the accused is rich are more likely to face the death penalty.

The death penalty is broken. However, the evidence of this is not in how long it takes to carry out the sentence. Nor is it in how expensive it is to carry out the sentence. The death penalty is broken because it is a crude and flawed emotional response to a systemic problem - how to appropriately deal with crime, especially heinous crimes.

The role of government in sentencing and punishing criminals is not and should not be vengeance, either for the survivors of the victim or for society. It is rather to stand as a dispassionate arbiter that judges cases as fairly and equitably as possible without regard to the race, gender, religious affiliation (or lack of religious affiliation), ethnicity, creed, nation of origin, or economic status of either the victim or the accused, and to render a just, fair, and equal punishment. The death penalty, as applied in this country does none of those things.

States with the death penalty do not have, on average, lower murder rates than states without the death penalty (even where those states border each other and have similar demographic make-up). Texas, which leads the nation in the number of executions carried out since it was reinstated in 1976 has seen a smaller drop in the murder rate than many states that don't have the death penalty (I recognize that this is a correlation, not a causation). Also, it is disturbing to me that Texas ranks third in the number of people on death row who have been exonerated of the crimes for which they were sentenced even as they lead the number of people executed.

On average 3.1 people per year were exonerated of capital murder prior to the widespread use of DNA in death penalty appeals. This compares with 5 people per year since 2000. This should serve to demonstrate that while DNA can help exonerate people convicted of crimes they didn't commit, it is only one tool in that process.

It is time to recognize that the death penalty is broken - not because it is expensive or difficult to carry out, but because it is inherently and patently unjust, ineffective, and inequitable as an enforcement tool. As such, it is time to cast it onto the dust bin of history along with such other relics of a less civilized society as torture, blood feuds, maimings, and carrying out punishments in public.

[Steve]

The way to fix Kansas' death penalty is to abolish it.

[Pub 17]

Abolish the death penalty? Then we'd be as bad off as the European Union. Look what happened when THEY abolished the death penalty--all Europe turned into a hellhole of violent felons running amok, knowing they couldn't be put to death.

Or not.

[Mike]

Kill more Kansans.

[gary]

I think your right Mike, let's make a raid on Lawrence...(disclaimer to those who are easily offended this is a light hearted response to another light hearted response. Nobody is really going to raid Lawrence Kansas...no animals were used for testing in this response, no old ladies were put up in front of a death panel and no guilty people were arrested)

[Get over it]

This seems pretty simple. If you show up at trial and get convicted based on DNA or if you choose to confess to the crime, there is no appeal process and you go straight to the gurney.

Now, on cases where there is no DNA or confession, I have mixed feelings. We all know they get screwed up from time to time. I believe the majority of people on death row deserve to be there and many not on death row also deserve to be there. But, I think that in the abscence of absolutely positive correctness, the death penalty should not be used.

[Pub 17]

We also know that DNA evidence also gets screwed up from time to time and that people FREQUENTLY confess to crimes they don't commit. You don't think so? Ask a cop.

Lots of people deserve to die. Lots of people also deserve to live. Until you can handle both sets of circumstances leave killing the wicked to God.

[TW]

Who cares about deterrence? The death penalty should be about revenge! A good, old-school public hanging lets us all have a good laugh and feel better, don't you think?

[Anonymous]

Let me tell you the situation in USA: In California you can be jailed for 25 years to LIFE for STEALING A COOKIE (3-Strikes Law), and in Florida you can MURDER someone and GET AWAY WITH IT just by saying you felt threatened by your victim, whether it is true or not (Stand-Your-Ground Law). This means in USA, a cookie is more valuable than a human life. Despite of massacres in high schools, universities, etc., gun laws are not hardened, but rather softened. But if a cookie is really more valuable than a human, WHY are you so shocked about these massacres? In USA, killing people seems to be like throwing away bad cookies. If you lose a beloved person, you lose only a cookie! No reason to complain, just buy some new cookies. That is so hypocritical. So much for humanity in the USA...

[kbp]

I'd prolly jump right in & go along with fixin' Kansas' death penalty ...just as soon as we reduce the immunity of prosecutors from absolute to qualified.

[parkay]

Leftists are slowly and slyly robbing us of our God-given right to capital punishment. Every criminal execution deters 18 additional murders, a huge savings in expense and grief.
First, we threaten all the shysters with putting them on death row, too, if they engage in frivolous and meaningless appeals and delays to stuff their pockets with fees.
It's a start.

[chalveyob]

Anonymously stupid, stealing a cookie is not a felony nor is it a violent felony, which is the requirement for three stikes. You have to love liberal morons who spout easily provable lies to try and support idiotic positions. It just shows the facts will not convince intelligent people they are correct. Keep it up!

[Moral City USA]

How do we fix Kansas in general?

[Dr. Michael Blankenship]

The death penalty is failed public policy. I can think of no other policy that costs as much and fails so frequently. It is time to join the rest of the civilized world and abolish this failed policy. Stop the emotional roller coaster for victims' families and friends, and redirect the money to proven crime control policies.

[Tom K]

Just what is the matter with Kansas, anyway?

[sickoftheidiots]

"Leftists are slowly and slyly robbing us of our God-given right to capital punishment. Every criminal execution deters 18 additional murders, a huge savings in expense and grief." -Parkay

By all means, if you don't have an argument, simply make something up. Either cite a source, a real source, for that bull@@## "statistic", or just STFU.

Once again, lithium, thorazine, Haldol, lobotomy; pick one a get the help you so deperately need.

[Roger P]

Do what they do in Saudi Arabia, bring the condemned person out on a Friday afternoon, surrounded by the crowd, read his execution order and the reason for punishment, and behead him. It has a rather chilling effect after seeing this done, that it makes people think before committing murder. The convicted has seven days to appeal and if denied, he's executed. As for comments about Texas, look at what they have coming across the border, you stop that and you stop a lot of your crime.

[Nemesis]

The judicial courts system is all about lawyers making money. The longer lawyers can stretch out appeals the more money they billtheir client or the state if they are court appointed.. It is to the point of rediculous that a death row inmate can live 15-30 years after they are sentenced to death.

The Kansas death penalty by lethal injection is neither a punishment nor a deterrent. It's just a means to fill lawyers pockets and the lawyers who are making the money wants every bleeding heart against the death penalty to show up and make them more money.

[killemall]

It's not a deterrent because it's not being carried out. Start putting the scum of the earth down and start saving money.

[TW]

"It's just a means to fill lawyers pockets and the lawyers who are making the money wants every bleeding heart against the death penalty to show up and make them more money."

I think that most of the appeals you are referring to are handled by capital defender groups and non-profit organizations. I would wager that their lawyers make less than the guy installing windshields at the Fairfax plant. Death penalty appeals are certainly no way to get rich.

[Anonymous]

Chalveyob,

In California you can also get a lifetime sentence for NON-VIOLENT strikes (It is the ONLY US State that does so). Californian prisons are overcrowded with NON-VIOLENT strikers (e.g. harmless drug-addicted), consuming taxpayers' money and rooms needed for REALLY DANGEROUS criminals. The State is broke, but the fact that many people are against the healthcare reform and prefer paying for lifetime imprisonment of a cookie thief to paying for healthcare and education for them and their children show again their idea of the value of a human life.

Anonymous

[Atticus Finch]

"It's just a means to fill lawyers pockets and the lawyers who are making the money wants every bleeding heart against the death penalty to show up and make them more money."

Unbelievable. Do you not know that the vast majority of Death Penalty cases in Kansas are handled by the Kansas Capital Defense Unit? The lawyers who dedicate their lives to this work do not do it for the money. They are paid a set salary per year regardless of the number of cases they are assigned or the number of overtime hours they work. On average, they earn significantly less than prosecutors of the same experience. They don't earn a single extra dime for a case that takes longer to resolve. The work is grim, depressing and tireless. These lawyers deserve the highest praise and respect. Get your facts straight before you spout off on something you know nothing about.

[kpop]

the only reason Kansas needs fixin' is because of some pansy a$$ judges. You got the death penalty, use it.

[Ruth]

Ninety days after the crime is comitted, you die. This wating for years is costly and not fair to the families. the ones they kill, don't get to wait 25 yers before they are killed. No more than one appeal and let the lawyers handle the appeal without charge and soon things would get better and I believe crime would go down.

[Moral City USA]

TomK, there was a book about 10 years ago that was titled "What's wrong with Kansas".

[sickoftheidiots]

Yep. Good call Ruth. Let's do what you suggest and the hell with the innocent people we will execute via that protocol.

Maybe you don't pay attention, maybe your just wilfully ignorant, but demonstrably innocent and wrongfully convicted people are routinely exonerated from death row.

"But, but, but, we have dna now and it's like, magic, right" Wrong. DNA is just another tool. It can be a good tool, but you don't live on the set of CSI.

So, until you can guarantee that nobody will be wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death, your ridiculous notions of "justice" are simply pathetic.

[sickoftheidiots]

"let the lawyers handle the appeal without charge. . ."

That's reasonable. After all, who wouldn't want the privilege of working countless, thankless, stress filled hours for free when failure results in the death of your client. Awesome.

And why exactly should lawyers work for free? I tell you what, when you "volunteer" at whatever your job is for 200 hr's or so each year, let me know.

Once again, pathetic.