Posted on 03/28/2005 5:12:15 PM PST by Valin
DENVER (AP) - The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday threw out the death penalty in a rape-and-murder case because jurors had studied Bible verses such as ``eye for eye, tooth for tooth'' during deliberations.
On a 3-2 vote, justices ordered Robert Harlan to serve life in prison without parole for kidnapping 25-year-old cocktail waitress Rhonda Maloney in 1994 and raping her at gunpoint for two hours.
The jurors in Harlan's 1995 trial sentenced him to die, but defense lawyers discovered five of them had looked up Bible verses, copied them down and talked about them while deliberating a sentence behind closed doors.
The Supreme Court said that ``at least one juror in this case could have been influenced by these authoritative passages to vote for the death penalty when he or she may otherwise have voted for a life sentence.''
Assistant District Attorney Michael Goodbee said prosecutors were reviewing the ruling and could ask the state Supreme Court to reconsider or could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
During oral arguments before the Supreme Court last month, defense attorney Kathleen Lord said the jurors had gone outside the law. ``They went to the Bible to find out God's position on capital punishment,'' she said.
Prosecutors had argued that jurors should be allowed to refer to the Bible or other religious texts during deliberations.
Time to get it up! Everyday their is a post/article that shows where our country is going. Innocent/disabled people have no rights. Murdering scumbags are afforded all the protection of our laws!!!!.
That's the Colorado supreme court, but your point is well taken. Wait till they get to the Churchill case and not only exonerate him, but move him into the Governor's office!
Funny but probably true!
Hmmm, it seems just to me if the judicial tyrants shared his life sentence.
I do not understand the reasoning in this case. Jurors are going to be regular people. Some will be religious. Some will be non-religious. They are supposed to discuss things on the basis of their own morality and experience and come to a conclusion as a group. Are religious people not to consider their religious teaching and morality when deciding court cases? That's absurd!
The jurors in Harlan's 1995 trial sentenced him to die, but defense lawyers discovered five of them had looked up Bible verses, copied them down and talked about them while deliberating a sentence behind closed doors.
The Supreme Court said that ``at least one juror in this case could have been influenced by these authoritative passages to vote for the death penalty when he or she may otherwise have voted for a life sentence.''
AAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!
I feel better now.
People REALLY have to start paying attention to these judicial races.
Unbelievable! The Supreme Dorks of Colorado by a vote of 3 to 2 ruled that presence of a Bible in jury deliberations "may" have persuaded jurors? Time to recall these idiot so-called judges.
"They went to the Bible to find out God's position on capital punishment,'' she said." Obviously they should gone to the aclu. {Yes I am yelling}.
But reading the liberal Satanic Bible would be encouraged and well within the law. Maybe if the jurors were to have an abortion as a sacrifice, they'd be forgiven.
(When the 10 Commandments are removed from the public square, their opposites move in to fill the void)
Some will be religious
Don't worry Defence lawyers will take care of this little problem. In Capital cases one of first questions they'll ask is "Do you consider yourself religious?"
Should have been a sarcasm tag on that post. They seem to be falling off lately.
In other words, justice is now politically incorrect.
And based on this ruling, that will be completely appropriate. Ridiculous!
No. Only sinners know what's righteous. (/s)
I teach Sunday School, and try to drive into those little heads full of mush certain basic principles of Christianity. Are my students to be excluded from a jury because they are (hopefully) no longer ignorant of the Bible?
I hope none of the witnesses were sworn in on the Bible. It may have persuaded one of them to tell the truth.
Sounds like it's time for jury confidentiality rules. Here in Canada, a juror can be jailed for discussing the case or the deliberations outside the jury room.
already dragged thru the dirt here.
"Not a bright move by the jurors."
I see that someone on this thread understands the law. Jurors are prohibited from bringing ANY outside materials into their deliberations; they are supposed to rely solely on the testimony they have heard and on the judge's instructions. You can't bring in a Bible, a law textbook, Time magazine - nothing. This ruling has nothing to do with anti-Bible or anti-Christian sentiment. The jurors who did this were idiots.
16 posted on 03/28/2005 2:45:16 PM CST by Steve_Seattle
ping
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.