Lee Malvo jury has reached a decision on sentence (Life without parole)

Fox News Channel | December 23, 2003 | self

[evad]

I checked and it does violate Cruel and Unusual.

A point of order here..
If we can do it often enough, then it will no longer be unusual. Since the constitution specifically states "cruel AND unusual", it will no longer fall under that category since it will only be cruel.

Problem solved.

[TexKat]

A jury recommended on December 23, 2003 that convicted sniper Lee Malvo, 18, be sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Linda Franklin, one of ten random killings that terrorized the Washington, D.C., area in the autumn of 2002. Then suspect Malvo is surrounded by deputies as he is brought into court to be identified by a witness during the trial of fellow sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad at the Virginia Beach Circuit Court in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in this October 22, 2003 file photo. REUTERS/Davis Turner/POOL-Files

[Congressman Billybob]

You are absolutely right. There is no justification for the death penalty to be at the whim of just one juror who might go squish, rather than to leave sentencing to the judges. That has been the sole duty of judges to issue sentences for more than SIX centuries, both in England and the United States.

This is the fault of the Supreme Court, which rewrote the Constitution to hand this duty to juries, rather than judges.

John / Billybob

[eddie willers]

You musta seen that TV show too eh?

Yes I did. And I don't believe I have ever been angrier in my whole life.

I remember the murders.
I remember the search.
I remember the "Born To Raise Hell" tattoo.

Quite possibly the sickest excuse of a human being to ever walk the earth.

[Howlin]

Well, around this house, we feel like if they executed MORE of these malcontents it wouldn't be so "cruel" or "unusual."

[beaversmom]

I was just going to post something similar. How long before Ed Asner and Mike Farrell take up his cause? He'll probably be the commencement speaker at some university in a few years.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Maybe it would have been life without parole for a single murder in Alabama, but since he also killed those folks up there in Virginny we have no choice but to fry the bastard."

Two points---1) one can only hope that the above happens, and 2) that's the way that sentencing decisions OUGHT to be made.

[beaversmom]

There are other states and other charges that can be filed How many other states? Is Alabama one? I hope some other jurisdiction will try this filth and the jury will do its job.

[Congressman Billybob]

Sure, the jury system is one of the protections built into our Constitution. BUT, the jury as it existed when the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were written, did NOT include the imposition of sentence.

It was the job of the jury to decide whether or not the defendant was guilty. After that, it was the job of the judge to impose the appropriate penalty as procided by law. That's the way it was, until the Supreme Court rewrote the Constitution.

It does no violence to the protections of the jury system in the Constitution to say that the Malvo sentencing decision should NEVER have gone to the jury. Their job was done when they handed in the verdict of guilty of two counts of capital murder.

John / Billybob

[Alberta's Child]

Here's the idiocy of the whole thing: He could be charged for just about any crime in most states right now, including crimes that were committed by others while he was in jail awaiting trial -- and he'd probably stand a good chance of being convicted anyway.

[cyncooper]

Jury foreman (and he was a man) just gave a brief statement basically saying they gave great thought to their decision and extended their sympathy to the victims' families. Took no questions.

[Mr.Atos]

Bama Justice! That deserves some Skynard!

[austingirl]

I hope to God you're right and Alabama fries him.

[Alberta's Child]

Interesting point.

Here's another interesting suggestion: Maybe capital cases should always be tried in such a way that a conviction carries an automatic death sentence (unless the defendant is granted clemency), and the jury does not have the option of finding the defendant guilty on lesser murder charges.

If these jurors were faced with a choice of sending Malvo to the electric chair or letting him back out on the street 30 seconds after the trial ended, I think it is safe to say that Malvo would be sitting in "Ol' Sparky" right now.

[Revolting cat!]

Mumia Jr.

[Reagan is King]

If he just would have said he was sorry we could have forgotten the whole thing and let him go.

He should have been toasted.

[Age of Reason]

Kill people with a sniper's rifle, get convicted, then get 3 hots a day, cable TV and clean sheets for life. Guaranteed.

Yes.

Normal people don't get it.

It's not like sending a normal person to prison for life.

Creatures like this Malvo don't mind life in prison any more than pigs mind life in a sty.

I knew those fool jurors would do this; I understand one juror on John Mohammed's trial tearfully said she would have voted for life in prison had he only shown remorse.

Fool.

There is nothing that can excuse what Malvo and his fellow creature did. Nothing.

They declared war without quarter on humanity.

[Age of Reason]

Isn't the jury's decision just a recommendation?

Can the Judge still override the jury by sentencing Malvo to death?

[recalcitrant]

yes but the kid was his "mentor's" gay lover...
they are both a protected class.
so are other minorities.
this kid was actually classified as THREE minority classes: gay, black and underage.

what else could we expect?
you can bet your sweet ass that if this had been a WHITE supremist, nazi youth or skinhead, as cheif "idiot" formerly of portland oregon said earlier in their description of the likely suspects... (which were in direct contraindication of all reports) he would have gotten the fry by friday treatment.

[Age of Reason]

If he just would have said he was sorry

Close to the truth--see my post above, post number 257.