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Thread: Federal Capital Punishment News

  1. #341
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    An inmate murdered a prison guard and received no added punishment - a new bill could change that

    EXCLUSIVE - Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz introduced a bill that would provide further justice to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

    Cruz is pushing a new law that would give prosecutors more power to seek the death penalty in cases where someone is convicted of murdering a federal law enforcement officer.

    Cruz told Fox News Digital the bill would prevent cases such as a 2013 incident in Pennsylvania, where an inmate serving a life sentence killed federal correctional officer Eric Williams – and received no additional punishment.

    "Eric's Law," introduced Tuesday, is named after Williams, who was stabbed more than 200 times with two shanks by the inmate, who briefly paused during the 11-minute attack to take gum from the officer's pocket and chew it.

    The convict was already serving a life sentence for a gang-related murder when he killed the officer and received the same sentence for killing Williams because a jury was deadlocked over whether to sentence him to death.

    "Eric Williams had his life taken from him through the actions of a vicious criminal. Eric’s family similarly had justice taken from them through the inability of a jury to reach a unanimous decision," Cruz exclusively told Fox News Digital.

    "Our brave men and women in uniform—like corrections officers, police, sheriff’s deputies, and federal law enforcement—undertake a tremendous risk to their safety each and every day, and this bill will ensure justice is done in those terrible instances where their life is taken from them," Cruz said. "We must do everything in our power to prevent this kind of tragedy from recurring, and that is why I am proud to introduce this legislation."

    The inmate, Jessie Con-Ui, was found guilty in 2017 of murdering Williams, but he did not receive a death sentence for the killing because one juror out of the 12 was a holdout.

    Prison officials spoke out soon after the sentencing, sounding off the lack of capital punishment in the case put a target on the backs of law enforcement officers and signaled "it’s OK to kill federal corrections officers," the Times Leader reported at the time.

    The bill, which was co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Mike Braun of Indiana and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, would allow, but not require, federal prosecutors to impanel a second jury if the first jury is unable to come to a decision on a death penalty sentencing. The law would only apply to capital sentencing hearings.

    The bill has received support from various law enforcement groups, including the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Council of Prison Locals, the National Association of Police Organizations, as well as the slain correctional officer’s father.

    FOP President Patrick Yoes told Fox News Digital that "when justice is not served in the murder of a federal law enforcement officer, it sends a message throughout the ranks of law enforcement that their sacrifice, up to and including the loss of their own life, is meaningless."

    "Under current Federal law, the murder of a federal law enforcement officer is a capital offense. However, if the officer’s killer is found guilty of murder and the federal prosecutor seeks the death penalty in the sentencing phase, the jury must consider and vote on whether to impose it. Unfortunately, the decision of the jury must be unanimous—a single dissenting juror can prevent justice from being served," Yoes continued.

    Don Williams - Eric Williams’ father and the president of the non-profit Voices of J.O.E., which stands up for fallen correctional officers and seeks to create safer prisons - said that under current federal law, "a lone juror can make a biased decision that becomes irreversible."

    "​​This is not in keeping with the spirit of our ‘trial by jury.’ Eric’s Law allows that, just as in the guilt phase of a trial, during the sentencing phase if a jury deadlocks, the prosecution has the right to retry the case. This allows for a fair and equal system in our courts for the victims' family as it does for the accused," he said.

    The new bill is modeled after state laws already on the books in California and Arizona. The presidents of both the Law Enforcement Officers Association and the ​​National Council of Prison Locals said they "applaud" Cruz for introducing the bill.

    "This essential piece of legislation brings a common sense approach to both Officer safety and the rights of the victims of violent crime," Shane Fausey, the national president of the National Council of Prison Locals, said.

    Larry Cosme, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said that if the bill is passed into law, it would "ensure the full weight of the justice system can be brought to bear against some of our nation’s most dangerous criminals, particularly those that target law enforcement."

    Con-Ui, 46, is currently being held at ADX Florence in Colorado, a supermax prison nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the Rockies."

    The inmate said during his trial he was "sorry" that the killing caused "heartache and pain" and that he will always "feel shame for taking an innocent man’s life." In previous testimony, he indicated that he killed Williams because he felt disrespected, according to the Times Leader at the time of the trial and sentencing.

    "The goal of the legislation is to seek unanimity in sentencing recommendations, whether that recommendation be for capital punishment, life in prison, or a lesser punishment. NAPO thanks Senator Cruz for his leadership on this important bill," Bill Johnson, the executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, said.

    https://www.foxbangor.com/news/natio...8b28101f9.html
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  2. #342
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    Trump is once again claiming if he's elected president "I will ask Congress to pass legislation ensuring that drug dealers, drug kingpins, and human traffickers receive the death penalty."

    https://twitter.com/Breaking911/stat...32144329195521
    "There is a point in the history of a society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that among other things it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly. Punishing somehow seems unfair to it, and it is certain that imagining ‘punishment’ and ‘being supposed to punish’ hurts it, arouses fear in it." Friedrich Nietzsche

  3. #343
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    New bill would allow for second jury in death penalty cases

    By Rebecca Parsons
    WTAJ News

    WASHINGTON D.C., (WTAJ) – A new bill would allow for prosecutors to impanel a second jury for sentencing if a first jury in a federal death penalty case fails to reach a unanimous decision.

    U.S. Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and Matt Cartwright (PA-08) introduced Eric’s Law, a bill that they say will help to deliver justice to victims and their families in federal death penalty cases.

    Eric’s Law is named for Eric Williams, a federal correctional officer who was brutally murdered by an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary Canaan in Wayne County, Pa. At the time of his murder, the inmate was already serving a life sentence for murder.

    Following a trial, the inmate was found guilty and received a second life sentence, despite 11 out of 12 jurors voting in favor of the death penalty.

    “Eric Williams was tragically killed, and his murderer’s sentencing was an injustice,” Rep. Thompson said. “It is a stark reminder of the danger and extreme violence our officers face every day in our nation’s federal prisons. Eric’s Law will help provide additional protections for our corrections officers, affirm the option for review of the case and allow for a final, definite decision in death penalty cases that our victims and families deserve.”

    Current law requires a unanimous decision by the jury to impose the death penalty. This bill permits prosecutors to impanel a second jury for sentencing if the first jury in a federal death penalty case fails to reach a unanimous decision on a sentence.

    “At the trial for the murder of my son, I was in disbelief that under current federal law, one lone juror can make a biased decision that becomes irreversible,” Donald Williams, Father of Eric Williams and Founder of Voices for J.O.E said. “As a father, it was devastating. As an American who values our judicial system, I was stunned. A ‘trial by jury’ is at the heart of our rights. Eric’s Law allows prosecutors to retry the sentencing phase of the case to allow for the fair and equal court system that all Americans deserve.”

    https://www.wtaj.com/news/national-n...penalty-cases/
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  4. #344
    Senior Member CnCP Addict one_two_bomb's Avatar
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    No way Biden signs this into law in the event that it passes.

  5. #345
    Senior Member Frequent Poster Steven AB's Avatar
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    Very well: Biden and others would have to explain to voters why they believe that criminals such as Saipov and Con-Ui deserve leniency.

    http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/...l=1#post139998

    http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/...l=1#post132530
    Last edited by Steven AB; 05-18-2023 at 01:10 PM.
    "If ever there were a case for a referendum, this is one on which the people should be allowed to express their own views and not irresponsible votes in the House of Commons." — Winston Churchill, on the death penalty

    The self-styled "Death Penalty Information Center" is financed by the oligarchic European Union. — The Daily Signal

  6. #346
    Senior Member CnCP Addict one_two_bomb's Avatar
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    He wouldn't have to explain anything. He's already stated he is against the death penalty so of course he isn't going to sign into law any bills that expand its use.

  7. #347
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    And to think Biden was pro death penalty during the Obama era but when Trump became president, he suddenly was against the death penalty.
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

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  8. #348
    Senior Member Frequent Poster Steven AB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by one_two_bomb View Post
    He wouldn't have to explain anything. He's already stated he is against the death penalty so of course he isn't going to sign into law any bills that expand its use.
    The point is not that it would be new, but that it is the interest of its opponents to corner him and others on this issue, and a true unanimity bill is well for that.

    Look at the Bessette-Sinclair opinion study about capital punishment, which was published only in 2021.

    It was easy for Biden to oppose the death penalty in the abstract (especially for the 2020 primary, but in 2024 he will have only the general election to pass) but not to do it concretely. Otherwise he would already have issued a blanket commutation and dropped the death penalty for the Boston bomber. Why waiting (assuming it's just a wait), if there weren't a high risk to do so? Even if he is reelected, he might care about the future for other Democrats.

    Not to mention that since 2020 the crime crisis is worsening.
    Last edited by Steven AB; 05-18-2023 at 04:52 PM.
    "If ever there were a case for a referendum, this is one on which the people should be allowed to express their own views and not irresponsible votes in the House of Commons." — Winston Churchill, on the death penalty

    The self-styled "Death Penalty Information Center" is financed by the oligarchic European Union. — The Daily Signal

  9. #349
    Administrator Aaron's Avatar
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    It doesn't matter. There's no accountability anywhere anymore. At this point a literal turd could win just because it had an R or a D next to it. South Park was ahead of it's time with their 2004 election episode "Douche and Turd."
    Don't ask questions, just consume product and then get excited for next products.

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  10. #350
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    I remember that episode. They also roasted the crap out of PETA in that episode too.
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

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