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Ex-death row inmate enjoys first night of freedom

Hatuey

Hatuey

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Ex-death row inmate enjoys first night of freedom - Yahoo! News

Then a 1996 HBO documentary titled "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" drew the attention of celebrities including Vedder and Maines. Joined by other stars, they helped fund a legal team that sought a new trial.


Last fall, the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered a new hearing for the three, asking a judge to consider allegations of juror misconduct and whether new DNA science could aid the men or uphold the convictions. Then, suddenly, there was the plea deal.


It involved an unusual legal maneuver that allowed the men to maintain their claims of innocence. But with murder convictions still on their records, supporters say they've got to find whoever's responsible for the boys' deaths to clear the men's names.
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The death row/sentencing system is broken. As we speak hundreds have been freed thanks to new evidence. What's sad is that there are probably dozens/hundreds more who've been executed with little chance to clear their names.
 
I don't agree with you on just about everything but this I will. The death penalty should only be applied to those caught with a smoking gun..so to speak. One can not be proven guilty unless it is beyond a reasonable doubt, although remember it states reasonable not lawyer game playing.
 
deltabtry said:
I don't agree with you on just about everything but this I will. The death penalty should only be applied to those caught with a smoking gun..so to speak. One can not be proven guilty unless it is beyond a reasonable doubt, although remember it states reasonable not lawyer game playing.
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It has been my experience that death row inmates who've been released have been "proven" guilty beyond reasonable doubt at least at the time they are sentenced. It is only after the evidence is analyzed and independent lawyers, not assigned by the state, take a look at the cases, that these people are freed. The system is broken simply because there are states who are way too eager to execute people so as not to look weak on crime. It has been proven over and over again that the death penalty simply does not deter homicide. Why we still rely on such a dated punishment is beyond me.
 
Hatuey said:
It has been my experience that death row inmates who've been released have been "proven" guilty beyond reasonable doubt at least at the time they are sentenced. It is only after the evidence is analyzed and independent lawyers, not assigned by the state, take a look at the cases, that these people are freed. The system is broken simply because there are states who are way too eager to execute people so as not to look weak on crime. It has been proven over and over again that the death penalty simply does not deter homicide. Why we still rely on such a dated punishment is beyond me.
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I agree and I believe it is called predatory prosecutors, and yes we need to reevaluate our death sentence policy. Although I do support it but not under the current system in the why it operates.
 
Hatuey said:
Ex-death row inmate enjoys first night of freedom - Yahoo! News


The death row/sentencing system is broken. As we speak hundreds have been freed thanks to new evidence. What's sad is that there are probably dozens/hundreds more who've been executed with little chance to clear their names.
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They were in prison for 18 years... I think the one on death row had a baby right before he went to prison too.

I posted a thread on this a few days ago. I think this is good news. The trial doesn't seem like it was fair at all, but I question some things the judge did... like making them plea guilty again before releasing them. The judge also doesn't want to purse further investigations into the new evidence.

A lot of it just doesn't seem right.
 
deltabtry said:
I don't agree with you on just about everything but this I will. The death penalty should only be applied to those caught with a smoking gun..so to speak. One can not be proven guilty unless it is beyond a reasonable doubt, although remember it states reasonable not lawyer game playing.
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Something is seriously wrong with their court system... This should be a massive embarrassment to their entire judicial system.
 
Hatuey said:
It has been my experience that death row inmates who've been released have been "proven" guilty beyond reasonable doubt at least at the time they are sentenced. It is only after the evidence is analyzed and independent lawyers, not assigned by the state, take a look at the cases, that these people are freed. The system is broken simply because there are states who are way too eager to execute people so as not to look weak on crime. It has been proven over and over again that the death penalty simply does not deter homicide. Why we still rely on such a dated punishment is beyond me.
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The judge still didn't treat these three men right, so that should tell you something right there.

What kind of judge requires you to plead guilty before acquitting you? They weren't technically acquitted, and the judge made his judgement before giving them a proper retrial. In fact, there won't be another trial. The judge doesn't want the state to investigate the murder properly at all.

Really.. just wtf... :shrug:

The judge should be forced to step down by the state for ignoring the state's supreme court.
 
Hatuey said:
It has been proven over and over again that the death penalty simply does not deter homicide. Why we still rely on such a dated punishment is beyond me.
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Here's the deal......I'd love for the death penalty to be abolished. Right after someone (maybe you) figures out a way to abolish heinous crimes.

Whaddaya say?
 
the system is simply too unreliable. i'm absolutely not ok with an innocent person receiving the death penalty.
 
ric27 said:
Problem with our death penalty is that we're not killing the right people.
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Thats the problem. We are like Elmer Fudd shooting everything but the rabbit.

I support law enforcement but don't trust every cop out there.
Sometimes it is a thin line between good and bad. In my own family I have a family member who became a sheriff and another family member who killed a sheriff,,,,,,same blood line, figure that one out.
 
This is good news. I remember that documentary, and the follow-up documentary that was subsequently released. Both were compelling. As a side note (and yet one more awful element to an awfully sad story), if I'm remembering correctly, one of these three boys was raped in prison, and now has AIDs as a result. I think it was the one on death row, but I could be wrong.
 
Crosscheck said:
Thats the problem. We are like Elmer Fudd shooting everything but the rabbit.

I support law enforcement but don't trust every cop out there.
Sometimes it is a thin line between good and bad. In my own family I have a family member who became a sheriff and another family member who killed a sheriff,,,,,,same blood line, figure that one out.
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It's not just the cops. Prosecutors, particularly those with political ambitions, frequently are more zealous than is rational or just. This is not universally the case, to be sure, but it does happen from time to time.
 
ric27 said:
Here's the deal......I'd love for the death penalty to be abolished. Right after someone (maybe you) figures out a way to abolish heinous crimes.

Whaddaya say?
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Given that the death penalty doesn't abolish heinous crimes either (or even act as a deterrent), and sometimes perpetrates injustices on innocent people, why would abolishing heinous crimes be a prerequisite to abolishing the death penalty?
 
Hatuey said:
It has been my experience that death row inmates who've been released have been "proven" guilty beyond reasonable doubt at least at the time they are sentenced. It is only after the evidence is analyzed and independent lawyers, not assigned by the state, take a look at the cases, that these people are freed. The system is broken simply because there are states who are way too eager to execute people so as not to look weak on crime. It has been proven over and over again that the death penalty simply does not deter homicide. Why we still rely on such a dated punishment is beyond me.
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I am of the opinion that the death penalty should not be applied unless guilt is proven beyond all doubt, a much higher standard than what exists now.
 
Aderleth said:
Given that the death penalty doesn't abolish heinous crimes either (or even act as a deterrent), and sometimes perpetrates injustices on innocent people, why would abolishing heinous crimes be a prerequisite to abolishing the death penalty?
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To say, the death penalty is a deterrent is foolish. To this day, people are being shot in many places in the US like it's free and I cannot imagine anyone with malice aforethought saying "I better not shoot that cop/teacher or whatever because I can be sent to death." If the murder of a PO or any other human is something one would do, you are too far gone for any deterrent effect....As a criminal, you are beyond help

So, if not deterrence, then what? Retribution, dude... pure and simple.

There are people in our society who by their very actions have forfeited their right to live amongst that society. Period. They must die. The families of the victims and we as a society need final closure to even begin to hope to heal. Justice demands finality.
 
ric27 said:
There are people in our society who by their very actions have forfeited their right to live amongst that society. Period. They must die. The families of the victims and we as a society need final closure to even begin to hope to heal. Justice demands finality.
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Two things about this:

1) Justice is not retribution. These are related but distinguishable concepts.

2) To the extent that some people deserve to die (and I don't disagree that that's the case) I'm not remotely convinced that the state is competent to make that determination.
 
ric27 said:
The families of the victims and we as a society need final closure to even begin to hope to heal. Justice demands finality.
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what about the families who oppose the death penalty?

if anyone is interested, there's a very good website out there that opposes the death penalty. they campaign on behalf of murder victims and their families.

their aim is "to put real faces on victim opposition to the death penalty by presenting photos and statements from survivors throughout the United States and around the world, along with photos of the murder victim and links to further information."

these a real people, real stories. absolutely heartbreaking. these people know what it's like to lose someone they loved very much, and they are completely against the death penalty.
some of them have witnessed the dealth penalty being carried out and they say that it gives them absolutely no peace at all.

Victims' Stories | Murder Victims
 
Aderleth said:
This is good news. I remember that documentary, and the follow-up documentary that was subsequently released. Both were compelling. As a side note (and yet one more awful element to an awfully sad story), if I'm remembering correctly, one of these three boys was raped in prison, and now has AIDs as a result. I think it was the one on death row, but I could be wrong.
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They are making a movie and a third documentary will be coming out. I hope your facts are not right, because that would be horrible.
 
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ric27 said:
Here's the deal......I'd love for the death penalty to be abolished. Right after someone (maybe you) figures out a way to abolish heinous crimes.

Whaddaya say?
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Executing innocent people is a heinous crime. Let's start with that one.
 
SheWolf said:
They are making a movie and a third documentary will be coming out. I hope your facts are right, because that would be horrible.
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I'm pretty sure I'm right. It's been a long time since I've seen the 2nd documentary, but I'm pretty sure they mentioned the AIDs thing. By all means, check it out. Like I said, it's been quite a while.
 
I read their wiki pages and it didn't say any of them were infected in prison... not saying it didn't happen, but there is no info on wiki about it. I would hope that isn't the case though.

Damien was the one they put on death row. I think they targeted him because he was Wiccan and looked kind of strange, which is really ****ed up.
 
Aderleth said:
I'm pretty sure I'm right. It's been a long time since I've seen the 2nd documentary, but I'm pretty sure they mentioned the AIDs thing. By all means, check it out. Like I said, it's been quite a while.
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Well, I accidentally omitted a word in that post... :slapme:
 
I guess I'll just have to watch the second documentary. I never watched any of them but I am familiar with this case, because my best friend used to watch the documentaries and she kept me informed. Since they out of prison and a third documentary is in the makes, I'll make time to watch the previous ones.
 
Mark Gardner (who was since been executed for the murder of 3 people including raping one of them), confessed to repeatedly raping and beating Damien Echols over an extended period of time.

i have watched all the documentaries in the past and there wasn't any mention of Damien contracting aids and can't find a reliable source so not sure on that.
 
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