Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!gummo!whuxlb!pyuxll!eisx!npoiv!npois!hogpc!drux3!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece
From: preece@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: capital punishment as deterrent - (nf)
Message-ID: <3109@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Oct-83 22:07:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.3109
Posted: Tue Oct  4 22:07:01 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Oct-83 05:07:02 EDT
Lines: 21

#R:dvamc:-109300:uicsl:5400032:000:914
uicsl!preece    Oct  4 08:02:00 1983

	Perhaps the reason why capital punishment or any other form of
	punishment under the law is not a deterrent is that they are
	plea bargained down to squat.  In the past 10 or even 20 years,
	how many criminals have actually been executed that were given
	a death sentence ?
----------
This misses a basic point.  Pleas bargaining happens before sentencing,
not after. People sentenced to death don't get executed for several
reasons. Some are saved by humane governors (not many). Some are saved by
courts invalidating the laws under which they have been sentenced (not
so many lately). Most are simply awaiting the end of their appeal process
and are, in fact, still under the threat of execution. If you go back
more than ten years, however, you're into a period when the Supreme
Court had invalidated all capital punishment as not meeting
Constitutional requirements.

scott preece
pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece