Retarded Killers May Not Be Executed, U.S. Supreme Court Rules

Bloomberg.com ^ | 6/20/02 | Greg Stohr

[GeneD]

Washington, June 20 (Bloomberg) -- The Constitution bars executions of mentally retarded killers, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, reversing a decision it made 13 years ago and ending a practice permitted in 20 states.

The 6-3 decision, invoking the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, said ``evolving standards of decency'' preclude sentencing the retarded to death. The ruling came in the case of a Virginia man convicted of a 1996 murder.

[RoughDobermann]

My condolences! :-)

[TheEngineer]

My definition of retarded would be anyone with an IQ less than or equal to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The libs would have us all believe that there are so many unjust executions in this country... but with about 10 years of appeals before executions, that just isn't the case. And there are local judges and juries that can make the judgment calls along the way on a per-trial basis. Did anyone hear about the case in question? The retarded guy shot a US soldier to rob him for beer money. I would argue that retarded people shouldn't be allowed to drink beer or liquor, since it knocks their IQ down even lower, but I'm sure that the libs on our supreme court would disagree. But AgeOfReason has it right... They shouldn't get to have total freedom without also the responsibility for their actions.

[maxwell]

No I was refereing to a dark period of our time when some dictator decided that the gene pool needed "chlorine". That guy realy liked tall, blond people with blue eyes. Get it?

That ain't what old boy was really referring to with his comment about chlorine in the gene pool and you know it.

There's an old saying in Texas and parts thereabout that hits the nail on the head--

"Some folks just NEED killin'."

[CounterCounterCulture]

marcleblanc

flame-baiter since June 12th, 2002

You do realize that ethnic cleansing is a GLOBAL phenomenon, not confined to Nazi Germany, dontcha know? And this has NOTHING to do with the topic at hand. We're talking about the merits of executing murderers, not innocent victims here.

[Hacksaw]

Another example of the Supreme Court saying the Constitution means "whatever we want it to mean".

What amendment is "evolving standards of decency" in? I can't find it in my copy.

[RoughDobermann]

Seriously folks, how hard is it to "fake" the results of a standard IQ test? Does anyone know? I doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to intentionally score lower than is accurate. Then again, my IQ is actually 70 anyway. Hey, that means that I can do all the murdering I want and not be executed! Yahoo!

[HELLRAISER II]

If you kill someone with the sole intent of maiming & killing, not an accidental death mind you but cold blooded murder. Then you deserve to die regardless of your age or whether your retarded. It sounds like you want to make excuses for some moron or stupid @ss kid that purposely killed someone, I'm sure you wouldn't feel the same way if some Mongoloid raped & killed your child.

[screed]

Oh, and yes I am Canadian.

That explains a lot.

[CounterCounterCulture]

OK, I'll answer that ~ Yes.

[RoughDobermann]

I'll answer it. Yes, absolutely. For me at least, the age of a perp is irrelevant. "Kids" today in the US do not behave the same as similiarly aged kids in, say, the 50s. They are quick to pull lethal weapons AND use them. So what if that "kid" is under 18? The result is the same.

[HELLRAISER II]

I guess harsh language & time out on somebody that just murdered your mother would be a sufficient punishment for you, huh?

[PISANO]

You mean 70 goes free...........71 gets the CHAIR? That shows the stupidity of the ruling.

[CT]

I think a retarded person might best be exampled by the poor guy that Clinton had executed just before the 1992 Election. That was Clinton's way of saying: "I am tough on crime."

If I recall correctly, the inmate was quated as saying, "leave the pie and I will eat the rest when I get back," as he was led off to the executioner's table.

Yeah. I'd say that guy wasn't all there. But I still say there will be an explosion - with the help of liberal psychiatrists - of retarded people as a result of this ruling.

[screed]

I guess your answer depends on your idea of what the death penalty is for.
If you believe it is some form of deterrent, I can see an argument for not killing the young, though I don't agree with it.
If you believe it is pest control, then exterminate them with all speed.

I lean in the Orkin direction.

[HELLRAISER II]

As a father of 2 Children I have taught my children right from wrong, they know that they aren't suppose to kill just like I learned from my parents. When I was 10 years old I shot a robin with my B.B. gun and to this day I can remember how bad I felt for killing that bird for no reason. So I can honestly say that by age 10 I knew killing for no reason was wrong, so why should I feel bad for some teenager or retard that thought it was cool to go blow somebody's brains all over a store floor. Answer: I don't, that doesn't mean I wouldn't give them a chance to explain their actions. Was it self defense, did they really mean to do it, did the gun off accidentally? No to all those questions, they did it just to see what color brain matter is. Fry their sorry @sses!