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Thread: Mentally Competent / Fit to Be Executed ?

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    Senior Member Member ruffec's Avatar
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    Mentally Competent / Fit to Be Executed ?

    Surely if someone is found competent / fit to stand trial, then this should be what is relevant rather than their mental state at the time of their impending execution ?
    Let's face it: most people would suffer mentally if locked up on death row for years on end awaiting execution, but should this enable them to avoid the punishment the courts sentenced them to ?
    Justice should not depend on the size of your bank balance or colour of your skin !

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    Member Member VladVoivode's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ruffec View Post
    Surely if someone is found competent / fit to stand trial, then this should be what is relevant rather than their mental state at the time of their impending execution ?
    Let's face it: most people would suffer mentally if locked up on death row for years on end awaiting execution, but should this enable them to avoid the punishment the courts sentenced them to ?
    To my knowledge, juries weigh aggravating versus mitigating factors during the penalty phase of a trial. Defense attorneys in the penalty phase will produce such evidence and the prosecution can of course challenge it with their own experts. I am unaware of any case in which a death sentence has been vacated due to an inmate's deteriorating mental state as a result of incarceration. Interestingly, then governor of Texas George W. Bush did commute the death sentence of convicted serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. There is still a lot of debate surrounding why Bush chose this action.

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    Vlad

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    Member Newbie iamjumbo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ruffec View Post
    Surely if someone is found competent / fit to stand trial, then this should be what is relevant rather than their mental state at the time of their impending execution ?
    Let's face it: most people would suffer mentally if locked up on death row for years on end awaiting execution, but should this enable them to avoid the punishment the courts sentenced them to ?
    atkins was one of the most imbecilic decisions that the supreme court has come up with in recent years. obviously, to rational people, the ONLY legal, or moral, defense for murder should be insanity, as defined by mcnaughten.
    it doesn't matter how low your iq may be. how horrific your childhood was is manifestly totally irrelevant. the only thing that matters is whether or not you know that murder is wrong.
    if you were sane at the time that you chose to commit the crime, nothing that transpires after that is relevant. if you become a blooming idiot, it changes absolutely nothing, and you should be executed

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    Senior Member Member Unsub's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iamjumbo View Post
    atkins was one of the most imbecilic decisions that the supreme court has come up with in recent years. obviously, to rational people, the ONLY legal, or moral, defense for murder should be insanity, as defined by mcnaughten.
    it doesn't matter how low your iq may be. how horrific your childhood was is manifestly totally irrelevant. the only thing that matters is whether or not you know that murder is wrong.
    if you were sane at the time that you chose to commit the crime, nothing that transpires after that is relevant. if you become a blooming idiot, it changes absolutely nothing, and you should be executed
    What about a murderer that has a stroke and becomes a "blooming idiot" and doesnt understand what is going to happen to him or why?
    Love your enemies...they hate it

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    Member Newbie iamjumbo's Avatar
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    he understood it when he was sentenced. that's the only thing that counts

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