Imagine that circumstances have placed you in a position where you have been convicted of murder.

You are given the choice.

Instant execution or life in prison.

what would you prefer?

Answer the poll.

edit: Freedom is NOT an option

/duh, thanks Enmos

Other option, I'd like to be set free :D

I'd go with prison. You can be acquitted and let out of prison, death is kind of irreversible though.

Well it's a bit of an obvious choice....a life sentence can be over in a couple of decades, but more importantly lets you at least appeal the decision. You could be out in a couple of years if you can prove that you were wrongly convicted.

If you're dead you can't do that. Plus you're dead which can't be great.

I would rather not be convicted of murder in the first place, but if I was and there was no chance of getting out of prison. I would prefer a quick drop and a sudden stop to life in the slammer.

edit: Freedom is NOT an option

/duh, thanks Enmos

LOL no prob ;)

In that case I'd rather serve a life sentence.
So you can add one to that option, since I already voted for 'other'.

If I were convicted of murder and I actually did the crime, which I take it is what you are stating, then I wouldn't want solitary confinement for life, I'd rather be executed for the crime I committed. Sitting in a 10 foot cell , not seeing others and very little activity would lead me to suicide rather quickly. If I knew there was no other alternative nor appeal to reduce the sentence only.

what part of wrongfully convicted is ambiguous?

:D

what part of wrongfully convicted is ambiguous?

:D

But that's your problem no one is "wrongfully" convicted of murder that actually did it. That is why I said that if i actually did the crime not that IF I did the crime like you say.

I'm asking IF you did not commit the murder but were convicted anyway, what would you prefer?

I'm asking IF you did not commit the murder but were convicted anyway, what would you prefer?

This is hypothetical BS. There is only one answer that anyone with common sense would answer to. No one would want to be kiled for something they didn't do and the way you have worded this question there really cannot be any other answer.

This is hypothetical BS. There is only one answer that anyone with common sense would answer to. No one would want to be kiled for something they didn't do and the way you have worded this question there really cannot be any other answer.

Its an offshoot from the capital punishment thread, where it was suggested that innocently convicted people would be better off executed rather than languish and suffer in prison.

http://www.sciforums.com/showpost.php?p=1703918&postcount=295

Which makes me wonder how many people would consider that if they were in the unenviable position of being wrongfully convicted. So far there has been one.

So far there has been one.

There's been more than one that I know about. But that doesn't mean that the other 98 weren't guilty of their crimes and were given the proper execution were they?

innocently convicted people

wrongfully convicted

What does innocently convicted mean?

Is it a capital crime to strangle attention -seeking cats ?

I would vote for life

What does innocently convicted mean?

To me innocently convicted means the jury made the wrong decision in all good faith

Freed from death row, Scotsman to fly home
Plea deal over fire that killed toddler makes way for release after 20 years


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22554450/


Prosecutors approved the deal after a federal appeals court determined Richey’s lawyers mishandled the case. The court overturned Richey’s conviction and death sentence last year.

Prosecutor Gary Lammers said the passage of time and the appeals court decision would have made it difficult to prove arson.

“We think it’s an appropriate resolution,” he said. “The fact that he served 21-and-a-half years in prison, I don’t think necessarily makes him a victim. If anything, it holds him accountable — if nothing else — for some of the things that he’s responsible for through this entire sordid case.”

Toddler's family livid over deal
Members of the Collins family glared at Richey during Monday’s court session.

Robert Collins, the father of the toddler who died, wishes his daughter “could appeal her death and come back to life,” according to a statement read by victim advocate Shelly Price.

“The situation surrounding the death of my little girl has haunted me for 21 years,” Collins’ said in his statement. “The unthinkable reality of her choking, crawling, crying, and her little lungs filling with smoke has been etched in my mind since her death. It’s an ongoing nightmare.

“I will never have closure now that the outcome has changed.”

Valerie Binkley, Cynthia’s aunt, told the judge she had prepared a six-page statement, but was too emotional to read it. She then turned to Richey and angrily pointed at him.

“I want you to know you fooled nobody — not me, not that baby, not any of these people,” she said. “You will fry in hell.”

Richey had been convicted of charges accusing him of setting a fire at the Columbus Grove apartment complex in June 1986 to get even with his former girlfriend, who lived in the same building as the child who died

A life sentence. I'd never prefer death to anything, I'm not suicidal.

Survival at Any cost. No matter what cost.

A life sentence. I'd never prefer death to anything, I'm not suicidal.

Wait until you pass a kidneystone and you might change your mind. :)

Cosmic, you are an idiot, SAM was pretty clear on the subject. If you can't imagine the situatuion, just don't answer the question, but stop littering the thread.
For me it depends on the prison. If it is a nice federal prison where I can have a TV and this or that, I would go for life, but if it is a stateprison where Bubba is going to rape me twice a week, hell, give me the chair!!!

Mod Note: Syz, you've already mucked up one topic about capital punishment calling people names and generally making your own argument seem foolish. Stop. Now. Got it? Good.

def. a life sentence...I will devote it to reading math books

I would choose a life sentece. I would write books on how to NOT be in the wrong place at the wrong time so you don't end up like me.

Life sentence.

I'd go with prison. You can be acquitted and let out of prison, death is kind of irreversible though.

ditto.

Cosmic, you are an idiot

Reported.

Lifer.

I wonder what prisoners in a life sentence do for the time that they are in there.

I'd want to be killed, although I know my family and friends would prefer life in prison for me. Personally, I could not spend over sixty years confined in prison; it seems like something that would drive me insane.

Side note: if this thread was started to show how the death penalty is faulty in these circumstances, then don't bother. It is evident that every avid death penalty supporter would only call for the death penalty if the convicted murderer was proven guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I wonder what prisoners in a life sentence do for the time that they are in there.

they become born again christians.

If I didn't really commit it....I guess life sentence, but if i did kill someone, i guess the death penalty.

I'd want to be killed, although I know my family and friends would prefer life in prison for me. Personally, I could not spend over sixty years confined in prison; it seems like something that would drive me insane.

Side note: if this thread was started to show how the death penalty is faulty in these circumstances, then don't bother. It is evident that every avid death penalty supporter would only call for the death penalty if the convicted murderer was proven guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.


Ditto.

they become born again christians.

I don't think you care but....I take offense to that.

Side note: if this thread was started to show how the death penalty is faulty in these circumstances, then don't bother. It is evident that every avid death penalty supporter would only call for the death penalty if the convicted murderer was proven guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.

What part of wrongfully convicted is ambiguous?

Cosmic, you are an idiot, SAM was pretty clear on the subject. If you can't imagine the situatuion, just don't answer the question, but stop littering the thread.


I know how SAM likes to word her posts so that there isn't but one way to answer it. I only choose to take another view about what she asked that was a different way of looking at it. I'm never going to give answers that everyone wants to hear but by golly gee I'm going to give them. :itold::soapbox:

I know how SAM likes to word her posts so that there isn't but one way to answer it. I only choose to take another view about what she asked that was a different way of looking at it. I'm never going to give answers that everyone wants to hear but by golly gee I'm going to give them. :itold::soapbox:

suppose you were holding a knife. It fell with your hand due to a sudden tilt in the axis of the earth. This had an unfortunate consequence of changing your center of gravity such that your hand moved downwards with the knife. At the other end of your momentum, there was a soft organism. The knife met the organism due to this unfortunate movement of your gravitational center such that the organism was mortally wounded and bled out.

Would you prefer to exist in a limbo state of denial for 60 years or would you prefer to be released from earthy obligations and confess to your maker?

Is that better?:bugeye:

What part of wrongfully convicted is ambiguous?

Did I not answer your question? If I was wrongfully convicted, I would rather die than spend approximately six/seven decades in prison (after doing everything in my power to overturn the decision). I also added that if this thread was intended as a cheapshot to death penalty supporters, then you've failed to convince anyone. Any ambiguity in this?

Side note: if this thread was started to show how the death penalty is faulty in these circumstances, then don't bother. It is evident that every avid death penalty supporter would only call for the death penalty if the convicted murderer was proven guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.

• • •

I also added that if this thread was intended as a cheapshot to death penalty supporters, then you've failed to convince anyone.

You have a point, Kadark. Avid homicide advocates generally aren't dissuaded by things like truth or dignity. Apparently it's so important to them that they reserve the right to kill other people that they would be let themselves be murdered to prove their point.

I'm not sure avid is a strong enough word in that case.

Did I not answer your question? If I was wrongfully convicted, I would rather die than spend approximately six/seven decades in prison (after doing everything in my power to overturn the decision). I also added that if this thread was intended as a cheapshot to death penalty supporters, then you've failed to convince anyone. Any ambiguity in this?

If you stay alive you can prove your innocence, it has happened before. I see what you mean though, what is wrong with the death penalty? At some point your actions forfeit the right to live, so what?

suppose you were holding a knife. It fell with your hand due to a sudden tilt in the axis of the earth. This had an unfortunate consequence of changing your center of gravity such that your hand moved downwards with the knife. At the other end of your momentum, there was a soft organism. The knife met the organism due to this unfortunate movement of your gravitational center such that the organism was mortally wounded and bled out.

Would you prefer to exist in a limbo state of denial for 60 years or would you prefer to be released from earthy obligations and confess to your maker?

Is that better?:bugeye:


How about a real life scenario that I posted which no one commented on. This man murdered a child because he was angry at someone else. The fact is he MURDERED someone intentionally by setting a apartment building on fire. He knew people lived there and wanted to only kill someone he just didn't kill the right person. Now he is free on a technicality yet the little girl is dead. If he were to have been executed when he was found guilty this travesty of justice wouldn't of happened. I feel that in the future more cases such as this will be happening and then more criminals will be set free to do their bidding and prey upon the public once again.


From MSNBC:


"Prosecutors approved the deal after a federal appeals court determined Richey’s lawyers mishandled the case. The court overturned Richey’s conviction and death sentence last year.

Prosecutor Gary Lammers said the passage of time and the appeals court decision would have made it difficult to prove arson.

“We think it’s an appropriate resolution,” he said. “The fact that he served 21-and-a-half years in prison, I don’t think necessarily makes him a victim. If anything, it holds him accountable — if nothing else — for some of the things that he’s responsible for through this entire sordid case.”

Toddler's family livid over deal
Members of the Collins family glared at Richey during Monday’s court session.

Robert Collins, the father of the toddler who died, wishes his daughter “could appeal her death and come back to life,” according to a statement read by victim advocate Shelly Price.

“The situation surrounding the death of my little girl has haunted me for 21 years,” Collins’ said in his statement. “The unthinkable reality of her choking, crawling, crying, and her little lungs filling with smoke has been etched in my mind since her death. It’s an ongoing nightmare.

“I will never have closure now that the outcome has changed.”

Valerie Binkley, Cynthia’s aunt, told the judge she had prepared a six-page statement, but was too emotional to read it. She then turned to Richey and angrily pointed at him.

“I want you to know you fooled nobody — not me, not that baby, not any of these people,” she said. “You will fry in hell.”

Eh, I would prefer life imprisonment, You can appeal , see the people you love, be acquitted and live life again. If you say Death, you can never reverse that, don't you think that is just the easy way out, you should fight back.