US lethal injection: End of the line?

[dreamdancer]

The US Supreme Court has said it will review whether the use of lethal injections is constitutional - but what does that mean for inmates on death row?

The US carried out 53 executions of death row inmates last year

Experts agree that many executions may be placed on hold as the nation's highest court examines the evidence.

But despite a steady drop in executions in recent years, they say there is little chance of the nine justices banning the use of lethal injection or bringing the death penalty to an end.

The case the nine justices have agreed to hear involves a challenge by two men, Ralph Baze and Thomas Clyde Bowling Jr, who are on death row in Kentucky.

The men argue that the standard three-drug cocktail administered by almost all the 37 states that use lethal injection inflicts unnecessary pain and suffering.

The question is, therefore, whether it violates the US Constitution's Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

The case will be one of the most closely watched of the Supreme Court's new session, which starts in October, with a decision due by the end of June next year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7013333.stm

 

[thcbound]

It's a shame there is a ban on cruel and unusual punishment that inflicts unnecessary pain and suffering on these human pieces of garbage

 

[panopticist]

What if the crime committed was cruel and unusual?

I feel the punishment should fit the crime. I believe that is also mentioned somewhere in the Constitution...

 

[Kaos!]

Utah uses the firing-squad method...and guess what?...It still works.

 

[Guest]

It is statistically impossible that there would be no innocent people on death row, that fact alone should be enough to ban the death penalty. The death penalty is for development countries, this shouldn't be happening in a civilised country.

 

[NOKUY]

I wish we still had the laws of the "old-west" ((YOU get out of line ...YOU get whaked))...everyone knew the rules.

I can't keep up w/ all the pussyfoot laws and shit they try to do today.

 

[panopticist]

It is statistically impossible that there would be no innocent people on death row, that fact alone should be enough to ban the death penalty. The death penalty is for development countries, this shouldn't be happening in a civilised country.

Devils advocate speaking:
What's so civilised about rape, murder, and other acts of extreme violence?

We're only as strong as our weakest link, I guess...

 

[BadKarma]

I think there are many people on Death row who deserve everything that they get no matter how cruel or unusual. I also cant help but think about the poor SOB who is innocent. Had to pull my support for the DP 10 or so years ago. Killing the innocent is well...bad karma

"When you kill a man you take away everything he has and everything he is ever going to have." Clint Eastwood-Unforgiven

 

[newbieb]

Doesn't make a difference if you think you're righteous or not killing is still killing.to veer into another topic i will ask this: who thinks physician assisted suicide is messed up?

 

[VictoryGardener]

I have always been against the death penalty

Teaching a criminal that killing another human is wrong by killing the criminal is flawed logic. It just doesn't seem right to me. Capital Punishment does absolutely nothing to deter crime, and has sent many innocent people to their deaths. Killing the criminal will not bring the victim back to life. Vengeance is not justice. Vengeance is vengeance. Abolish it.

 

[VictoryGardener]

If prisons are going to carry out justice, it should be carried out with strict accordance to the bill of rights. Sitting on death row for ten years is not swift due process at all.

 

[JJScorpio]

I think death is to good for them. If I had my choice between the death penalty or 40 years or more in prison I'll take the needle. Make them sit locked up for 23 hrs a day for the rest of their lives. There's the cruel and unusual punishment, lol.....