Death Sentence Imposed on DC Sniper John Muhammed

http://www.foxnews.com ^ | 11/24/2003 | Fox News

[Catspaw]

The decision of the jury will be announced within 15 minutes.

[Stop Legal Plunder]

So whatever happened to the White Man In The White Van?

Is Moose following the OJ model and still looking for the real killer?

[Prime Choice]

Read in the Wash Times Friday that the average length in Virginia between sentence and execution is 3 years. Average nationwide is just over 9 years.

Does that include cases that are appealed all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States? I have a feeling the Left will be milking the appeal process all the way up to (and including) that.

And I'm sure there'll be a fair share of nutbars who'll claim "religious persecution" because Muhammad is a member of the "religion of peace"...(*spit*)

[RetiredArmy]

He won't be put to death in the next 10-15 years. Count on multiple appeals throughout the years. The first one is because he is black and did not get a fair trial from the whites.

[dwd1]

I don't think this sentence was unexpected... He terrorized all communities and appears to show no remorse or contrition... He has the will to kill.. It is in his heart...

As someone said, "He cared nothing for the lives he took and endangered. He should be made to forfeit his own!"

[blackie]

Hang 'Em High ~ Publically!

[dwd1]

He would have to show that black jurors were excluded from the jury and that white officers tainted evidence to gain a conviction... And that did not happen...

He is going to have to be protected very well to even make it to his execution... If not, he will most likely suffer the same fate as Jeffrey Dahmer...

This is a guy who went over the line... He is not going to be able to wrap himself up in black history and say "I was not treated fairly!" The truth is, he gives others ammunition to point at our community and say "See, that is how you people are!" He shames and embarrasses with his actions....

[Carolinamom]

True justice for this monster would be death by firing squad. Needles are too humane for him.

[evad]

as long as life in prison means just that.

It doesn't..that's one of the big problems with 'life' sentences.

Our governor just let one loose.

[cgk]

Predators get used to prison. It is their realm

Exactly right.

[BlessedBeGod]

Thank God!

[Riley]

To apply the term sniper to Convicted Terrorist John Muhammad is to insult all of the brave and honourable snipers in our armed forces.

Roger that- I couldn't agree more. You've hit on one of my pet peeves.

[dwd1]

Long range ... Have him placed in the middle of a field perhaps and have the snipers take him out from 1 mile away...

I still say he will most likely not live to face his sentencing... Even in protective custody, he will go insane and commit suicide, get killed by another inmate with a grudge or looking for to make a name for himself...

[CatoRenasci]

I distinguish between saying

(1) a particular human being, because of specific, volitional conduct (not in any way based upon sex, race, class, or whathaveyou) of which he has been duly convicted with all the procedural rights and guarantees our society affords, has placed himself beyond the protection ordinarily afforded to human beings in the law, even most convicted criminals. and (2) a class, race or group of humans are outside the protection of the law simply by virtue of their membership in the class, race or group.

It's not saying the perp is merely an animal to slaughtered, but it is saying we cannot permit them to live and should not expend resources on them.

I realize there is a danger that my argument from practical necessity can be seen as a utilitarian argument, but it it is not so intended. I am arguing that we must allocate scare resources, and in making those allocations we must choose among competing priorities and that society makes moral judgments about those priorities (e.g. a transplant operation for a poor kid is a morally better use of scarce tax money than a comfortable old age for Charles Manson - is not an appeal to more happiness for more people). None of the priorities are lexically ordered. The utilitarian argument (the "greatest good for the greatest number" in it's simplist form) makes the greatest good for the greatest number itself a moral criterion which is lexically ordered and precedes other criteria.

[MinuteGal]

Any bets on when the "Free Muhammed" signs, the candlelight vigils and the arms linked across America will begin?

Leni

[Carolinamom]

Target practicing on him as he dodges about in that field would suit me fine. Let HIM feel some terror himself. Normally, I'm not this bloodthirsty (although I do believe in the death sentence and have voted for it as a juror in the past), but I make an exception in his case.

[evad]

We could not count on Maryland or D.C. to render justice

When yer absolutely 100% right yer absolutely 100% right.

[hunter112]

Yep, I'm impressed with how quickly VA was able to bring these roaches to trial. Why is Robert Blake not yet in court, besides the fact that its CA?

[kevkrom]

Long range ... Have him placed in the middle of a field perhaps and have the snipers take him out from 1 mile away...

Better still... tell him that he will be shot by a police sniper while in prison. But not when or where. Let every trip into the exercise yard or other open area be an occassion of fear and terror, as he tries to scan around for a glint of sunlight off of a rifle scope...

[gridlock]

Regarding the use of public funds argument, of course the choice is not between the best possible use of tax money (transplants for the poor) and the worst possible use of tax money (cable TV for Manson), but between the worst possible use of the money and the next-to-worst possible use (another floor on the Clinton Library).

But other than that, I take your point. I think that a compelling argument can be made for the execution of this particular human, based on his own actions and with full protections afforded. But I object to this process being equated with the putting down of an animal. There is no reason to give the state rights to treat people as animals when the same arguments can be made while treating people as people.

[gridlock]

...Let every trip into the exercise yard or other open area be an occassion of fear and terror, as he tries to scan around for a glint of sunlight off of a rifle scope...

And then have the sniper intentionally miss the first few times...