Death Row

[Coldicote]

I know some people agree with the death penalty and others don't, but the American way of keeping criminals on 'death row', sometimes for very many years, seems like gruesome mental torture. Life imprisonment would be decent by comparison? What do other ABERs think?

[chakka35]

quinlad, you�ve said it all. No more argument necessary.

123everton, repeating the horrors of those dreadful events does not add anything to the discussion of capital punishment.

That DNA �evidence� was of no value. Appeal judges have made fundamental mistakes before and here is another. It is absurd to imagine that DNA tests can show anything of importance after all this time. Who can testify that Hanratty�s and Storey�s clothing were kept in those separate sterile packages from the beginnning (essential for the process) when no-one knew in those days how important that was? Set against all the genuine indications of Hanratty�s innocence (including Storey�s failure to identify him) it doesn�t amount to a row of beans. Besides, there are many other cases where we would have (and did) hang innocent people.

(I also know Rice Lane. I was born in Anfield and brought up in Everton, but am proud to say that I support Liverpool!)

[sazzle17]

i fully support the death penalty, especially for england!
our legal system is pants!
as soon as a killer is put into prison, he's out again. on the run so he can kill someone else.
however, convicting the right person is important.
im actually just writing an essay on psychology and the criminal justice system and alot of the time jurors will convict someone, if they just look like a criminal, and also they believe eyewitness testimonys are 100% true. WRONG!
a witness to a crime can become confused with the events that took place, as they try to make sense of the bits they have forgotten, so its more than likely that they too, will make up a person who they have stereotyped into being a criminal.
i think that we need to improve on how jurors come to a decision on who they convict before the death penalty is brought back, if it ever is.

[123everton]

Sorry for the delay I've only just been able to access my profile on the new "improved" AB.
I'd happily refute the death penalty if life meant life, no weekend passes etc.
But it does'nt.
I don't work in law enforcement, I work on the buses and i deal with scumbags from all over the city.
I see these people when they're offending, not after when they've had time to reflect, it aint pretty.
Drug addicts are amongst the worst for casual violence, prison means warm clean bed and 3 square meals to them.
Being an addict (to me) is no mitigation for murder I'm not (nor is anybody else) a partner in their misery.
Have you ever seen 5 smack heads turn on a shelf stacker? Farm foods on Rice Lane, and see him turn away and give up for his own safety? It aint pretty.
The death penalty will start to turn around the knife and gun and gang culture eventually. Men could return to duking it out when they have a dispute.
I agree to an extent that the lack of a death penalty may protect some victims whilst they're being victimised but the advances in D.N.A now tend to count against that I fear.
Hanratty's victim was blinded by him, but she still recognised his voice and if the D.N.A had been negative the self same apologists would be screaming for his pardon.

[Theland]

chakka35 - I always had you taped as a southerner. Don't know why, but there you go.
I was born in Kirkdale, married and lived in Everton, (Netherfield Road), then Anfield, (Sleepers Hill), and then moved, "over the water," where I remain. Do you still live in the area?

[chakka35]

Theland, I was born in Whitefield Road, Anfield. In my childhood we moved to Bulwer Street, off Breck Road, Everton. I went to Anfield Road Primary School and then Liverpool Collegiate School.
I live in Surrey now, so you were right in a way!

123everton, I'll make a separate post to discuss Hanratty. For now, just to say that Valerie Storie was not blinded by anyone.