Death-penalty decision alarms Texas

[Rose Siding]

DALLAS -- Last week's U.S. Supreme Court verdict determining that those who were younger than 18 when they committed their crimes cannot be executed for murder has sent shock waves through the vast Texas penal system.

The recent 5-4 decision by the high court affects 72 juvenile murderers. Twenty-nine of them are on Texas' death row in the Pulansky Unit, a few miles outside Huntsville -- along with 448 others there scheduled to die.
The looming problem is not that these 29 now must be integrated into the system's main population, but that some of them actually might be considered for parole soon.
...
Texas, which leads the nation -- and world -- in meting out death sentences, is one of only three states without a specific criminal penalty called "life without possibility of parole."
...
State Sen. Eddie Lucio, a Democrat from Brownsville, already had introduced such a bill in the state Legislature. Twice defeated in his try to make such a change in the law, Mr. Lucio says, "Maybe the time has come."

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050306-113008-4161r.htm

[Toots]

1. Texas, which leads the nation--and world--in meting out death sentences

And how has that effected Capital Crime in Texas? Doesn't Texas have the highest Capital Crime rate in Amerika?

[Bridget Burke]

2. Weird headlines from "The Moonie Times"

Perhaps some in the "vast Texas penal system" are alarmed. Most Texans have other worries.

This Texan is glad we've gone one tiny step toward joining the civilzed world.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Abstinence syndrome in action

*NNNNNNGGG* must... get... death... fix... GAAAAAAAAAA *pops vein*

Not unlike heroin withdrawal symptoms if you ask me.

[booksenkatz]

8. If I were a Texas frog right now

I'd sure watch my asshole. Those firecrackers hurt, man.

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

[DS1]

4. Someone's tryin' ta cut in on their God-Given Killin'

Assholes.

I'm sooo fucking glad I didn't move to that god-forsaken state.

[merwin]

5. *gasp* We can't kill kids anymore?!?! That's unconstitutional!

[MemphisTiger]

6. I guess Bush's state can't have kid "thugs put to death"

he was so fond of that phrase while running in 2000

[jbnow]

7. Actually there are only two states now

that have no life without parole. New Mexico is the other one and Kansas recently changed their law.

When I heard the supreme court ruling I posted here wondering if Texas would change that law now.

Right now juries are informed they'd be eligible for parole in 40 years if they don't get the death sentence. They clearly do that to increase willingness to vote for the death penalty. Attempts to change that were squashed.

[DuaneBidoux]

9. I see hope in this ruling.

Think about it...this ruling came from a Supreme Court that is 7-2 appointed by Republicans. This court may be conservative in the way conservative is supposed to mean, i.e., slow to change the current situation. And while this might bode ill for further advances in the progressive agenda it certainly can't bode well for the reactionary right wing desire to roll back many progressive laws post FDR into the Middle Ages.

[Guckert]

10. No special Olympians or kids, God may smite us for this outrage. DUH

Remember Gods book says the Death penalty for
Killers
Liars
Potty Mouths
Adulterers
Coveter's
working on the Sabbath
Smiting your mother or father
Blasphemers
eating shellfish
getting a hair cut
planting two different crops on the same field
wearing two different kinds of threads

So let the killing begin. Holy Rollers

[DemoTex]

11. So prior to the SCOTUS ruling there were 477 total on Texas' Death Row.

Texas courts in general, and Texas governors and A/Gs in particular, have such a stellar record with respect to fairness, that it can be said - with absolute certitude - that there is no chance whatever that one or more of these 477 is innocent. Right? The 152 inmates executed under Texas Governor Bu$h were all (including the juveniles) guilty. Right? Right?

Sarcasm off/

[w4rma]

12. That was pretty sick that they could lock up a 16 year old until he is 18

and then kill him with the death penalty due to this loophole.

[GiovanniC]

13. First You Can't Kill the Retarded, Then You Can't Kill Kids...

Jesus Christ, don't they know how much easier those two groups are to catch!?

Next thing you know, they'll try to make some ruling against killing the innocent, too! Thank God Scalia is still there though, trying to prevent THAT from ever happening.

"Mere factual innocence is no reason not to carry out a death sentence properly reached." - Antonin Scalia