Death penalty for Moussaoui?

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04 [...] index.html

Can someone try and explain this to me?

Why are they trying to get a death penalty for this guy when it's pretty obvious (to me) that Moussaoui wants to die as a martyr for his cause instead of rotting inside a prison cell for the remainder of his life?

I hear victims (people that had relatives or friends die on 9/11) talking about getting comfort from this person's death while this is what he wants? I'd say punish him for real and keep him alive. I know the jury is still out on the actual death sentence but I'm really wondering about all those people out there that want this guy dead while keeping him alive is more punishment than just getting rid of him. I just don't get it.

Any help out there?

That's weird. Even in the "way too liberal" Netherlands we nowadays have life sentences that actually will take the rest of a natural life serving it. The (self acclaimed) terrorist murderer of Theo van Gogh got one.

Is this the reason why you guys have the death penalty? Because you can't lock up prisoners for always? That seems kind of awkward.

Not that it is impossible in the Netherlands someone may get a pardon, but if there's reason for a pardon then it's up to the system to decide he'd get one (and in a particular case like this that would never happen).

It's lame how it works..

To take someone and have them serve the life term (99 years) costs less than putting one to death.

The death penalty takes years to draw out because of all the appeals, delays, etc.

Our prisons are getting over crowded, 'they're' saying we have too many people in jail for other things. The death penalty, to us, is the worst punishment.. yet he wants to die.

I say we lock the guy up in solitary confinement for life.

We have people on death row (awaiting their date to die basically) for 20 years or more.

And RC is right, someone will come along, claim he's not mentally fit for the death penality, it'll go back to court, he'll get his sentence reduce to Life or 50 years.. a couple years later, he'll file an appeal, they'll review it, deem he's mentally unfit, life in prison is unfair, so they'll give him a lesser sentence.. 10-15 years down the road from his death sentence, his 'lawyer' will file an appeal claiming he's no longer a threat to the US. 2-3 appeals will go on until they inevitably release him or put him on a shorter sentence with parole after a few years..

Basically, he'd be out within 20 years.

So, instead of that long drawn out ordeal, we in the US, decide to just kill them instead.


I'm all for the death penalty though. I believe everyone has some concept of how one would receive the death penalty.

Many times I've heard people say they weren't aware of certain things in the law. The common response: Ignorance of the law doesn't matter.

Unfortunately, we have that damn humanity thing going against us.

What really pisses me off is the defending lawyers.. they pull every damn thing out. He's not mentally stable, his childhood, racial profiling, he moved to France and had problems adjusting. He had nothing to do with anyone, he was a problem for them!

ALL BULLSHIT!

Seriously..we're making so many rules against ourselves that we might as well cut our feet off.

Throw him to the wolves... street justice is picking up these days because the law isn't dealing out punishment.

An Ohio judge, every recently, gave a child molester.. on his like 3 offense or something, PROBATION.

We're about to pass a version of Jessica's Law.. finally. Yet this judge let this guy off.. What kind of justice is that?

Ya' wanna' punish em? with death that is?..

Prior to fireing up ole' sparky douse him in pigs blood...

I'm not sure exactly how to word this since I'm truly lacking in knowledge of Islamic law but I do know that one must die a "Clean death" in order to recieve their Fookin' 76.1 virgins or what ever.

Which is why the ones that truly believe they die for the glory of Islam go through a ritual of Prayer & cleansing,donning clean white linen prior to their suicide runs.....

These guys are just doing their job. If you ever get into a tough situation I hope your lawyer will do the same for you.

If the US system is incapable of handing out real life sentences then blame the system and change it. In this case, a life sentence would be a bigger punishment than the death penalty and I think we all agree that this guy deserves the biggest punishment possible.

I think it's abusing the system though. The way they tout this stuff in order to get an innocent verdict, not away from the death penalty.

I mean, it's cool if they're trying to lower a verdict or get something else, but these guys are pushing for an innocent verdict.. not a "life sentence."

That's what gets me.. too often controversial things are pulled up for the defense of an individual and they get off from it. That's bullshit.

If I mentally retarded kid kills someone, he should be locked up. No one really knows what the kid thinks.

Just like a gimp who can't walk well can kill..
The Usual Suspects, anyone?

Reply to me fawker.. reply to ME.

I'm all for them continuing their education. I don't believe they should get game systems or cable tv. They should get basic channels on nothing more than a 12 inch tv.

These people are getting game systems, cable tv, free entertainment..

Hell, if I were homeless and never going to be able to get back on my feet, might as well go rob a place, get caught, thrown in jail for a couple years here and there.. 3 meals a day and all the 'perks.'

That's my fail-safe plan in life.. so, maybe I'll see some of you in jail if things get really bad eh?

Guys... prisons aren't all fun and games- even the ones with TV, video games, etc. And they're not as easy as you make them out to be. I used to be a prison guard. I fuc*king hated it... it was like being locked up for 8hrs a day and I'm the one who was free.

"Prison Break" is actually a decent representation of how life really is in prison. So was HBO's Oz.

There is a very complex heirarchy in prison. If you're not part of a gang your life is pretty miserable. And if you are part of a gang or "click" you're required to do certain things that can (and will) get you shanked- also pretty miserable.

They all have jobs within the prison and they all suck. It's an extremely stressful and horrible place to be- make no mistake about that. Why do you think they have weight rooms in prisons?

That said I do agree they should be afforded things like video games, magazines and other freedoms. But that they do have these things doesn't change the fact that they're still in a shi*tty place.

I was reading about it here:

"There comes a point where the jury simply is not willing to save a defendant from his own incriminating statements," Turley said. "But just because Moussaoui wants to be put to death as a 9/11 co-conspirator, does not mean we are supposed to yield to that demand."
Moussaoi article

The guy is just gunning for it. Lawyers are talking precedent about death penalty for someone who didn't actually commit a crime. Personally, I say life sentence no parole.

I'd say give him the death penalty. Why? He'll rot in prison for 15 years before he gets executed because of all the appeals. Don't know about other states but here in Oregon "life," in prison is 25 years.

These guys are just doing their job. If you ever get into a tough situation I hope your lawyer will do the same for you.


I think it's abusing the system though. The way they tout this stuff in order to get an innocent verdict, not away from the death penalty.


They're part of the system, they're not manipulating it. You should be glad for it too. If the guy gets convicted, you can be sure (not a 100%, but beyond a reasonable doubt) he got what was coming to him, with a defense like that.

Not rehabilitation, re integration after serving your punishment. This is a sensible way of looking at serving time.

There is the issue of righteousness, and suffering punishment for a deed done wrong. And there's the issue of protecting society. If someone is convicted of crimes that disqualify him/her for actual participating in society ever again, then society must be permanently protected from that person. Personally, I do not favor the death penalty but I do believe in life long imprisonment (the real thing, not getting out after a long time), but if the death penalty is the only way of permanent protection then so be it.

If the verdict is less than life long imprisonment, then it makes sense to timely prepare for a re integration of the prisoner in such a way as to minimize the chance of the person to fall back into his previous patttern that led to the crime, in balance with his civilian rights as he will have served his punishment when he gets out.

Protecting society has a price. You cannot motivate these people to work, because they are outcasts already, they've got nothing to gain, unless you give them some priviliges in return for the work they do. Starving them to death is not an option I presume?

Secondly I read in a topic here somewhere that applying the death penalty is more costly than a life sentence. I'm not sure this holds up for a true life sentence.

This is from CNN:

Are you sure he is a US Citizin, mpjesse?

Victims relatives are testifying...