[Catspaw]

Nope, neither Minnesota or North Dakota has the death penalty--BUT the feds do. Rodriguez crossed state lines. He kidnapped Dru Sjodin in North Dakota but her body was found in Minnesota. That gives federal jurisdiction--and even if he's tried on a state level, he can also be tried on a federal level. In fact, I'd prefer that he be tried federally so the death penalty can be imposed. That way, Rodriguez wouldn't have years, if not decades, of state appeals before the federal appeals start. He gets two shots at the federal appeals (more if his lawyers are creative), but convicting him federally and, if the death penalty is imposed, definitely shortens the time from conviction to the death penalty being carried out.

[brydic1]

He gets three shots, I believe he has dual citizenship, Mexican and US, so the International Court of Justice in the Hague also has jurisdiction. No question that they will find some reason call for a retrial if he is convicted.

[Rome2000]

John Kerry’s position on capital punishment, in his interview on Meet the Press in December, 2002.

"SEN. KERRY: I think, Tim, as people get to know me in the course of this, they’ll know the things that I have fought for and the things I stand for. I was a prosecutor. I’ve sent people to jail for the rest of their life. I’m opposed to the death penalty in the criminal justice system because I think it’s applied unfairly, as even Republican governors have determined, and because I’m for a worse punishment.

I think it is worse to take somebody and put them in a small cell for the rest of their life, deprived of their freedom, never to be paroled. Now, I think that’s tougher. Let me just finish.

MR. RUSSERT: But, Senator, why shouldn’t Timothy McVeigh, who blew up the Oklahoma building, or if John Muhammad is convicted of being a sniper here in Washington—why shouldn’t they receive the death penalty?

SEN. KERRY: Tim, I think that, as I said, you know, different people have different opinions about what’s worse. I’ve seen people die and I know what it’s like to almost die. I don’t think that—you know, dying is scary for a while, but in the end, the punishment is gone. When you’re alive and you’re deprived of your freedom each day and you’re in tough circumstances—and I’m talking about tough circumstances. I’m not talking about some cushy situation where they live off the fat of the land in prison.. I’m talking about tough. But if you’re deprived of that freedom for the rest of your living days until God decides to take you, you know, that is tough, my friend, and I think that plenty of people think that.

LOL!!!!

This mental case had better hope they start giving tours of the White House again, because thats the closest to the Oval Office he is ever going to get.