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Old 05-24-2013, 07:59 PM
art vanderlay art vanderlay is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GenuineRisk View Post
Death Row is a state issue, not a federal one. I agree with you absolutely about the abuse of the death penalty, but it's not a federal issue, and, unless you believe a President should actually be a dictator, opining on it is not even remotely part of Obama's job. This is the state's job, and any state can choose to outlaw the death penalty.

The constitutionality of the Death Penalty has already been discussed and decided, and then reversed, by the Supreme Court, back in the 1960s and 1970s (which is why Charles Manson wasn't executed- he was sentenced to death, and then, during the brief period the court ruled it unconstitutional, his sentence was commuted, and then when it was reinstated, the Court said no backsies). Even were it to become a federal issue again, it would be up to the Court, not the President. And I doubt the current court has any interest in revoking the legality of the death penalty (again).

Here's a link with info on which states have the death penalty and which do not:
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/stat...-death-penalty

Again, GGBob, I agree with you about the death penalty, but it's a state issue so it's not an applicable comparison in this instance. And there's been a really disturbing trend the past few decades of the Executive Branch taking more and more power (especially during Bush 43's tenure, but it started before that). It's very, very bad, and something both parties should object to, even when a guy from their own party is in the office.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/201...lty/?mobile=nc

Today, Justice Breyer denied a petition from Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) to delay the transfer of a Rhode Island inmate to federal authorities because of the possibility that he would face a death-penalty prosecution. Chafee appealed to the Supreme Court after a federal circuit court refused to delay a decision requiring Rhode Island to turn over the inmate, Jason Pleu, to federal authorities. Federal prosecutors want custody of Pleu in order to try him for the death of a gas station manager during a robbery in 2010 despite the fact that that kind of case is usually tried by state officials. Chafee has refused to turn over Pleu because under federal law Pleu may face the death penalty if convicted.
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