Help stop the execution of a severely brain damaged man

[Ian Beardsley]

The ACLU asks you to write governor Schwarznegger of California to help stop the execution of a severely braindamaged man. It was the great philosopher/mathematician Jacob Bronowski who said something to the effect that because we are afraid of the murderer in ourelves, we end up commiting murder. I will get the ACLU link to send a letter.
--Ian

[Ian Beardsley]

Here is the link:
http://ga1.org/campaign/clemency?rk=K1LuizK1XqNNW
The guy almost carries the same last name as me, but that is not why I write about it. Perhaps many of you already got wind of this, but I thought I would post it anyway, because I think it is awful, executing a brain damaged man who if they were a loud to bring that up in the trial, would have never been up for execution.

[FormerFundie2004]

Originally Posted by Ian Beardsley

Here is the link:
http://ga1.org/campaign/clemency?rk=K1LuizK1XqNNW
The guy almost carries the same last name as me, but that is not why I write about it. Perhaps many of you already got wind of this, but I thought I would post it anyway, because I think it is awful, executing a brain damaged man who if they were a loud to bring that up in the trial, would have never been up for execution.

I'd need more background info before coming to a decision. He is only worthy of the crime IMO if he is able to understand right from wrong, such as killing=bad. If he is dangerous even in prison, maybe the death penalty is justifiable.

[Ian Beardsley]

Originally Posted by FormerFundie200419

I'd need more background info before coming to a decision. He is only worthy of the crime IMO if he is able to understand right from wrong, such as killing=bad. If he is dangerous even in prison, maybe the death penalty is justifiable.

"maybe justifiable if..." you might have to argue that to some as there are those that don't believe in capitol punishment under any circumstance: i.e. to punish death with death is only to set the wrong example as a society, and only as such be the cause of more deaths.
--Ian

[LadyShea]

Originally Posted by Ian Beardsley

"maybe justifiable if..." you might have to argue that to some as there are those that don't believe in capitol punishment under any circumstance: i.e. to punish death with death is only to set the wrong example as a society, and only as such be the cause of more deaths.
--Ian

Not everyone is against capital punishment. The poster simply asked for more background because she is not automatically anti-death penalty and needs to apply her own values to the situation.

I have been reading about him, he had already served a prison sentence for a previous murder, was released, then killed again. Also the nature of the brain damage is not mentioned, unless it interferes with his ability to determine that murder is wrong, I see no reason not to move forward with the execution.

Rutherford strangled Benjamin with the wire and his hand before Beardslee punched her, helped pull the wire tight around her throat and then slit her throat twice. Beardslee pulled her pants down to make it look like a sexual assault.

At the time of the killing, Beardslee was on parole after serving seven years in a Missouri prison for strangling and stabbing Laura Griffin in her bathtub.

Beardslee’s defense team argue he has been a model prisoner but Murray replied it is only due to the restrictive conditions of death row. Claims Beardslee is brain damaged are also bunk, he said, citing his high school grades, completion of courses in prison and high IQ score.

“It appears that his alleged mental problems only exhibit themselves when he is murdering women,” Murray wrote.


http://www.smdailyjournal.org/articl...&storyID=38526

[Ian Beardsley]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

Not everyone is against capital punishment. The poster simply asked for more background because he is not automatically anti-death penalty and needs to apply his own values to the situation.

I know not everyone is against capital punishment, but I understood that he was saying he needs more information because maybe the guy deserves the death sentence. I am saying there are those who believe the death sentence is NEVER justifiable.

[livius drusus]

I'm against the death penalty, but it seems to me that this case has enough wrong with it to be an example of how not to implement capital punishment even for people who generally agree with it.

The overturned special circumstances alone make it a very shady call. Then there's the incompetence of his defense lawyer, the introduction of a prior conviction for murder in another state - a conviction tainted by illegally obtained evidence - the far lighter sentences for his co-defendants (and not because they were less involved), and his history of brain damage both from birth and from later injuries which the jury heard nothing of, among several other things.

Here's Amnesty International's take on the case which gives more background.

P.S. - FormerFundie2004 is a woman.

[LadyShea]

I am sure she knows that, especially since we had a rather long thread on the subject. But, you are the one who brought up the fact that he is brain damaged...if you are against the death penalty in ALL cases or were only speaking to those that are, you wouldn't have needed that to try to convince people to sign the petition.

I have no personal problem with this guy being executed as he seems to meet my criteria. Of course I think the sentence being commuted to life without parole is fine. I am not necessarily for the death penalty, just not against it in all cases.

livius, the AI sort of glosses over the Stacy Benjamin murder, saying only "and she was killed". Beardslee slit her throat twice and pulled down her pants in an effort at concealment. All three women whose murders he was involved in were mothers. He sounds like a predator to me.

[livius drusus]

Oh, and Ian, I really hope your misspelling of Schwarzenegger's name in your OP was a typo. Definitely worth correcting, I think.

[Ian Beardsley]

[QUOTE=livius drusus]I'm against the death penalty, but it seems to me that this case has enough wrong with it to be an example of how not to implement capital punishment even for people who generally agree with it.

The overturned special circumstances alone make it a very shady call. Then there's the incompetence of his defense lawyer, the introduction of a prior conviction for murder in another state - a conviction tainted by illegally obtained evidence - the far lighter sentences for his co-defendants (and not because they were less involved), and his history of brain damage both from birth and from later injuries which the jury heard nothing of, among several other things.

Here's Amnesty International's take on the case which gives more background.

This sounds horrible, especially where a ruthless lawyer atrributed the flat personality, which is caused by brain damage, to having the personality of a murderer. Is what I can't believe is that we even should be put in a position to have to try and convince a governor to save his life. Is it not obvious that there could be something seriously wrong going on here, and to send someone to the guillatine, even if maybe they are a murderer. It is nuts. This brings out another arguement: should capital punishment be legal if it means that it could bring even one innocent person to death? I personally believe no.

[livius drusus]

Ian, was your misspelling of Schwarzenegger's name in your OP a typo or was it an intentional use of a racial slur?

[Ian Beardsley]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

Ian, was your misspelling of Schwarzenegger's name in your OP a typo or was it an intentional use of a racial slur?

Definitely a typo, not a racist slur. Actually, and you won't believe this, it was how I thought his name was spelled, and was thinking how odd to have a name that is by coincidence a racial slur.
--Ian

[livius drusus]

Phew... Okay cool. Thanks for the edit.

[Weaselboots]

Ok my two cents worth (which is worth less over there)
I'm a fence sitter when it comes to this topic.
On one hand i realise that the system is flawed, and if one innocent person is executed then that is one too many. Plus i hear its fairly racially skewed and top heavy on death row, again a big flaw. Not everyone is given the same treatment, defense etc. So for that reason i can't agree with it.

But i believe through certain actions, people lose their "god given right to life, i'm human therefore i'm sacred" status and really become no more than a waste of resouces. Did anyone really lose sleep over Ted Bundy when he bought it?
We don't have the death pentalty here so its a moot point, but if someone had put a bullet in the back of Martin Bryant's head i don't think there would have been too much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Instead he is locked up forever, getting 3 meals a day. I'm not baying for his blood, but i don't care for it either.
http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial/bryant/

[lady cop]

this execution has taken place.