Father Charged: 'Physical torture' cited in beating death of toddler [Utah]

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 7/10/2007 | Stephen Hunt

[TChris]

PROVO - The beating death of 20-month-old Jordan Putnam included "severe physical abuse indicative of physical torture," prosecutors said Monday as part of their request to keep the toddler's father in jail without bail.

Prosecutors also argued that a no-bail hold on Jason Mike Putnam would ensure the safety of the defendant, who has attempted suicide in the past.

Fourth District Judge Steven Hansen granted the state's request and revoked Putnam's bail of $250,000, a sum the American Fork man had not been able to raise.

Putnam, 23, is charged with aggravated murder, which carries the possibility of execution, for the June 12 death of his young son.

He is the first defendant to be charged with a newly enacted addition to Utah's homicide statute that provides the possibility of the death penalty for killing a child under age 14.

Also new this year is the requirement that prosecutors must file their intent to seek the death penalty within 60 days after a defendant is arraigned following a preliminary hearing.

[TChris]

Those are extreme examples. God has already declared the death penalty for murder, there’s no concern about man’s interpretation of justice. The government has the God given authority to carry it out.

Exactly. I agree with you completely.

What I don't agree with is the common FR sport of "put me in a room with him and a baseball bat", etc. Individual vengefulness and vigilantism is still a bad idea, just as it has always been. The death penalty, applied by an impartial judicial system, after a fair trial by jury, is a Good Idea.

My examples were those meant to illustrate just how badly wrong some people's concepts of "justice" can go. One father in recent news actually killed his neighbor based only on an accusation of molestation from his daughter. It may or may not have been true, but he didn't wait to find out.

That brand of "justice" is very, very dangerous to a society.

[TChris]

Gen 9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.

I support the death penalty. I don't support beating or torturing him to death, however.

[TChris]

We'll see how beatings he hands out in prison.

Against very angry people who are big enough to fight back.

I'm guessing he didn't think that far ahead when he chose to torture that poor boy. :-(

[TChris]

I’d go along with that if he’s guilty.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Well, he'll certainly have to think about it now.

As soon as the other inmates find out why he's locked up, he will be in serious danger.