Posted on 05/12/2005 8:40:30 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
With Connecticut less than 24 hours away from its first execution in nearly 45 years, legal challenges that could derail the execution of serial killer Michael Ross remained undecided this morning and are certain to be appealed.
But those closest to the case say they believe Ross will be dead by day's end Friday, though none would lend their names to such speculation. They cite the speed with which the federal appeals courts dealt with a barrage of appeals in the days leading up to Ross' original execution date in late January.
The families of Ross' victims, who were stunned and angry when the planned Jan. 29 execution went awry at the eleventh hour, no longer put faith in dates or times.
"I'll believe it when he's strapped on the table and they are injecting the poisons into him," said Robin LaFleche, whose 14-year-old sister, Leslie Shelley, was killed by Ross in 1984. "We're still on that roller coaster of maybe it will, maybe it won't. We'll never know until it's done."
Meanwhile, the lawyer for death row inmate Sedrick Cobb, who last month said he wanted to withdraw his appeals and proceed to his execution, said Cobb is no longer volunteering to be executed. His attorney, David Golub, said Wednesday he is sending a letter to that effect to the state Supreme Court.
Wednesday was a day of court hearings, decisions and new motions being filed in Ross' case. One action that raised some eyebrows in legal circles was a motion by attorney Antonio Ponvert III on behalf of inmates he says are vulnerable to attempting suicide if Ross is allowed to choose to die.
Ponvert, who in past efforts to halt the execution represented Ross' father, Dan Ross, said the execution could prompt "suicide contagion" ...
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
The idea that this guy even thought a reason to hold off execution due to fellow inmates following suit by suicide will not garner a reply from me.
God will decide where he goes.
My prayers are with all those left behind in his wake of evil.
I wonder if they are including in that number all the Muslims who died on 9-11.
Oops. Wrong thread! Sorry.
When I say make changes, it stems from what I have learned from California, that the likes of Scott Peterson, will wait for 12 years at a minimum for a team of lawyers to handle his death sentence appeals.
Why, well those that do this are paid by the state and it is peanuts. Those that offer have many other cases to address.
While I want to see Scott punished for his actions, we must handle appeals much better, folks die, memory fades so many things come into play after years on the back burner. Not fair to the convict, and further very unfair to those who live day to day with the pain of the loss due to his hands.
Why, California cannot remedy this, I do not know, but, frankly those who await the execution of someone who murdered their loved one is in a type of hell we will never understand, let's do something to reduce the sentence of the loved ones.
Jumping off my soap box.
I appreciate your comment, thank you. I fret this may be the only place a discussion like this will take place.
I have great respect for DNA. I have made my opinion known that those who could not benefit from DNA, in other words DNA was not used, can request the DNA, to affirm their guilt or innocence.
Further, if the convicts family/convict pursue this avenue as a way to delay the inevitable and indeed the DNA supports the guilt of the accused then the family forks over the money for the goose chase taken unnecessarily.
Harsh I know, but, I do not like being taken advantage of.
As for California, goodness, could it be any more unfair. I have watched one of the evening shows, that had a gal from where the Peterson trial took place asking for funds because the trial just a blew a whole in their budget.
If they can do this, why not address the death penalty issues and how the process can move more swiftly for both the condemned and the family left behind.
I could go on about this, but, you get my point I am sure!
Thank you for the comment!
The anti-death penalty people have gamed the system so badly that any execution is guaranteed to take years and cost a fortune. Then, they turned around and claim that the time and money are reasons to do away with the death penalty. Sheesh.
Nobody wants innocent people to be executed. We also don't want to support the guilty for years after their convictions.
I could not agree more if I tried.
Evidently the execution is on schedule in less than 90 minutes.
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