Obese Killer Spared by Governor

UPI ^

[nickcarraway]

Ohio Gov. John Kasich granted clemency to 480-pound death row inmate Ronald Post, agreeing with the state parole board that Ronald Post's defense had been too poorly handled to put him to death.

An obese killer on Ohio death row successfully petitioned for clemency, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Monday.

The attorneys of Ronald Post, who was condemned to execution for the 1983 murder of a motel clerk, petitioned fro clemency on claims both that his original defense had been inadequate and that he could not be humanely put to death due to his size.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich agreed to grant clemency to Post, following the Ohio Parole Board's 5-3 recommendation.

According to the Plain Dealer, the board said Post should not be executed, hinging their argument not on his 480-pound girth, but because he was not effectively defended by his original attorneys:

The board said the mistakes by Post's original attorneys included having Post take a polygraph test from an examiner who had already been retained by the prosecution in the case as well as enter a no contest plea with no assurance it would be considered mitigation in the sentencing phase.

"Regardless of the heinous nature of their crime, a criminal defendant is entitled to an effective defense, especially in a death penalty case," said Kasich in the statement.

Post will spend the rest of his life in prison with no possibility of parole, Kasich said.

[nickcarraway]

How long before the courts rule the state is obligated to feed prisoners until they are obese?

[JouleZ]

While the gov’t feeds illegal alien children. The world is insane.

[nickcarraway]

Can you get out of traffic tickets for being obese?

[nickcarraway]

Post will spend the rest of his life in prison with no possibility of parole

I bet hes out of prison within five years max.

[nickcarraway]

Isnt this discrimination because of weight? Does a skinny guy deserve death more than this guy? Every lawyer of every other person on death row should file suit against the state. Does the 14th Amendment allow for a different standard of justice for people of different weights or sizes?

[Wiggins]

Kasich is wacky.

[scott7278]

So his defense was poorly handled, so he can’t be put to death, but he spends the rest of his life in prison? It’s a miscarriage of justice either way.

[Slings and Arrows]

Can you get out of traffic tickets for being obese?

Maybe if you eat the radar gun.

[Jim from C-Town]

The ruling has NOTHING to do with his weight. The man had a crappy defense and he was given poor advice by his original attorney. He is not subject to retrial and in Ohio life without possibility of parole means he is in prison until he dies.

Ohio and Kasich have over scene the execution of many death row inmates. He is not squeamish about letting the system do what it should. He is however correct in this ruling, even though it is distasteful.

[Smokin' Joe]

So his defense was poorly handled, so he can’t be put to death, but he spends the rest of his life in prison? It’s a miscarriage of justice either way.

If the trial was mishandled, declare a new trial.

His present obesity is irrelevant.

[nickcarraway]

He is not subject to retrial and in Ohio life without possibility of parole means he is in prison until he dies.

I doubt you'd bet on that. Whenever this happens, the person in question gets out all together in short order.

[Hardraade]

The twinky, hoho, dingdong and bacon defense.

[dsrtsage]

They are just trying to save money. They knew his last meal would rival one of Michael Moore’s afternoon snacks.

[Squantos]

If yer driving a Prius ....

[Fzob]

30 years on death row? Yet some think there is a death penalty in Ohio.

[joe fonebone]

I am actually glad for this one..

not because he is obese, but because he did not kill anyone..

the triggermen got life, he drove the getaway car..

he was not even in the store when the killing occured..

he was sentenced to death, while the killers got life..

[Daveinyork]

They wouldn’t have to drop him very far to snap his neck.

[mmichaels1970]

The ruling has NOTHING to do with his weight. The man had a crappy defense and he was given poor advice by his original attorney. He is not subject to retrial and in Ohio life without possibility of parole means he is in prison until he dies.

I agree.

[fruser1]

“How long before the courts rule the state is obligated to feed prisoners until they are obese?”

Is he actually being fed X calories by the prison staff or is he a tough enough guy to get extra chow from other prisoners?

He may be surrounded by very thin block-mates.

[mmichaels1970]

I doubt you'd bet on that. Whenever this happens, the person in question gets out all together in short order.

I'd bet on it. I couldn't name one person, at least in the state of Ohio, who moved from death row, to life without parole, to the street "in short order".

I may simply be ignorant of who these people were, but I'd guess the conservative local talk radio hosts in my area would have been all over such regular releases as they happened. Such occurrences would be tailor-made for talk radio.

I've heard of exculpatory DNA evidence getting folks released, but that moves them from death row to the streets directly.