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From: robert@weitek.UUCP
Newsgroups: soc.singles,soc.women
Subject: Re: A clear case of rape?
Message-ID: <492@weitek.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Sep-86 16:37:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: weitek.492
Posted: Mon Sep 22 16:37:47 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Sep-86 21:20:06 EDT
References: <4834@decwrl.DEC.COM> <2f95211a.46@apollo.uucp>
Reply-To: robert@weitek.UUCP (Robert Plamondon)
Distribution: net.singles,net.women
Organization: WEITEK Corporation, Sunnyvale CA
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Xref: watmath soc.singles:83 soc.women:56

In article <3256@watmath.UUCP> credmond@watmath.UUCP (Chris Redmond) writes:
>>[The discussion revolves around the withdrawl of permission for sex at the
>>last possible moment]
>>
>>If you were on a jury, and rape had a mandatory death penalty, would you
>>send the guy to the electric chair?
>
>The impossibility of giving a sensible and just answer to a question
>like that is one of the most powerful arguments against the death penalty.

The impossibility of giving a sensible and just answer to a question like
that is one reason why we have a jury system -- if everything's blown too
far out of proportion, the members of the jury can just say "He's not THAT
guilty", and deliver a verdict of "not guilty" to prevent the harsh penalty
from being enforced.

But be that as it may, I shouldn't have pushed people's "capital punishment"
buttons, as that was not my point. I'll try again:

If you were on a jury, and rape had a mandatory penalty of (pick one): 
	twenty years in prison,
	five years in solitary,
	parole with Ray Frank as parole officer,

would you still deliver a "guilty" verdict?

What if the penalty was $500 and a week in jail?

-- 

	Robert Plamondon
	UUCP: {pyramid,turtlevax, cae780}!weitek!robert

	Disclaimer: It's not my fault!