Lacey Peterson verdict, guilty!

Ultimate Weapon · Post by **Ultimate Weapon** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:19 pm

Wow what happens now, appeal, sentencing? Considering the circumstantial evidence and no eyewitnesses, I would think the judge would hand down a life in prison sentence, I know I would.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... i_peterson

Elita-One · Post by **Elita-One** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:56 pm

He is eligibal for the Death Penlty, First degree for Laci, 2nd degree w/ special circumstances for Conner.

I hope he fries!

Sentencing hearings begin 11/22

Baxter · Post by **Baxter** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:08 pm

When was the last time California actucally executed someone?

Sometime in the 60's IIRC

So if he gets the death penalty he'll sit around on death row until he dies.

It's probably better for everyone if he gets life with out the possibility for parole.

dEcEpTiCoN MEGAtron · Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:16 pm

I think he has the possibility of parole, which sucks.

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:17 am

I really don't care about the whole thing, but I just love the hypocrisy of the death penalty.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:40 am

Originally posted by Sir Auros
I really don't care about the whole thing, but I just love the hypocrisy of the death penalty.

I like the way people will cheer when some bastard gets killed, having committed the horrible sin of killing someone. You kick over my sandcastle, I'll kick over yours, and I'll bring cheerleaders.

Ultimate Weapon · Post by **Ultimate Weapon** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:51 am

The whole thing is circumstantial, I don't see how they could get the death penalty without an eyewitness. Maybe if he had more money like OJ he would have gotten off. Is this some retribution for that case? Argh.

Post by **Clay** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:20 am

Yeah, this is a good example of a circumstantial case. No hard physical evidence anywhere, but there's so many weird coincidences that it's beyond a reasonable doubt that he didn't do it.

~Just so happened to take a fishing trip on the day his wife disappeared to a dock a few hours' drive away--the same dock that his wife washed up on three months later.

~Just so happened to be banging another woman who didn't know he was married.

~Just so happened to sell his wife's vehicle and buy a new truck before she was even declared dead (about a month after missing).

~Just so happened to relocate to his parents' in Southern California and change his appearance after media scrutiny begin.

Etc, etc, etc. Again, no hard physical evidence, but a LOT of circumstantial evidence.

Elita-One · Post by **Elita-One** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 11:49 pm

update:

Sentencing verdict....

Death

Brimstone · Post by **Brimstone** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 12:27 am

Originally posted by Clay
Etc, etc, etc. Again, no hard physical evidence, but a LOT of circumstantial evidence.

Which is all fine and good but wow...it strikes me as very odd that they found 12 people who were willing to convict the death sentance on a 100% circumstancial case. I'm a proponent of the death penalty...and there's no way in hell I could say "Death," to a completely circumstancial case...even if I believed he was guilty. Because there'd always be that lingering thought, "there was no 'smoking gun' proof...am I really comfortable with the finality of Death...what if he was innocent?" Being on a jury for a circumstancial case would really suck...but living with the guilt of putting a man in prison or putting a man to death, I'd think the former would be easier to live with.

But that's just me. (they would have had to kick me off that jury to get the verdict they wanted...oh wait, they were doing that weren't they...)

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 12:32 am

Brimstone, you kind of point out in your post why so many are against the death penalty. The system doesn't work the way it's supposed to. Now you're guilty until proven innocent.

Bombshell · Post by **Bombshell** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:03 am

Originally posted by Sir Auros
Now you're guilty until proven innocent.

Which is the way it should be.

Brimstone · Post by **Brimstone** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:27 am

Originally posted by Sir Auros
Brimstone, you kind of point out in your post why so many are against the death penalty. The system doesn't work the way it's supposed to. Now you're guilty until proven innocent.

Yeah...it should not be so easy to put someone to death...like say with circumstancial evidence.

I guess my point was...given the right circumstances, I don't have a problem with someone being put to death. (like say with Timothy McVeigh...or that guy over in Kuwait that rolled a grenade into his troops tent a couple years ago)

Personally, I would like to see the judge overturn this ruling for death...but some how I doubt that is going to happen. I mean...I fairly certain he did it, even with out seeing the evidence, and I'm sure the jurors are convinced that he did it. But when you've got absolutely no hard evidence...I don't know how they can sleep at night. Not that they're bad people...I just couldn't do it myself.

Snake · Post by **Snake** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 2:12 am

Originally posted by Sir Auros
Now you're guilty until proven innocent.

It would be wrong to put innocent people on trial for a crime, given that they are innocent...

And as for the Death Penalty, I say Fry 'Em. What, do we have a shortage of criminals or something? It's a punishment-fits-the-crime deal. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and all that jazz. Sure, sometimes there are cases where you can't be sure and we must tread carefully, but other times, we know exactly what happened. Like when we catch them in the act, for example. If executions are really just state-sanctioned murder, then a life sentence is state-sanctioned imprisonment and is no better, morally. So they aren't dead you say? But you've taken away the part of their life that matters, making their life unlivable, so where's the nobility? What we're really talking about is a matter of degree. And once the blood has drenched your hands, why nitpick that a few drops more are somehow too much...

Sociopathic Autobot · Post by **Sociopathic Autobot** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 3:03 am

Originally posted by Bombshell
Which is the way it should be.

Bombshell you just killed a man. You are guilty.

Bombshell · Post by **Bombshell** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 4:06 am

Originally posted by Sociopathic Autobot
Bombshell you just killed a man. You are guilty.

Hey. I work at CobraCo. Killing people is not expected, it's company policy. Hell, if I'm not buring ten lawyers a day, I'm not working as hard as I could be.

RID Scourge · Post by **RID Scourge** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 4:13 am

The problem with the death penalty is that it takes away any chance that the person may truly repent many years from now. My heart goes out to Laci's family, but killing her killer won't bring her or their child back, and if he had gotten life without parole, he wouldn't be able to disrupt society anymore.

Brimstone · Post by **Brimstone** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 5:26 pm

Originally posted by PaladinPrime
The problem with the death penalty is that it takes away any chance that the person may truly repent many years from now.

See...I guess the reason I don't have a problem with the death penalty (in general) is because I don't care if someone truly repents...it doesn't take back what they did.

The problem I do have is that I think it should be saved for those rare instances where there is undeniable proof of what happened and who did it.

RID Scourge · Post by **RID Scourge** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 5:59 pm

Originally posted by Brimstone
See...I guess the reason I don't have a problem with the death penalty (in general) is because I don't care if someone truly repents...it doesn't take back what they did.

Nor does killing them. Is justice truly just if it is not tempered with mercy?

Brimstone · Post by **Brimstone** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 7:01 pm

Originally posted by PaladinPrime
Nor does killing them. Is justice truly just if it is not tempered with mercy?

I don't think killing them does fix what they did...but I do believe that it gives some closure to the living victims of the crime. And I don't feel like paying to keep someone alive like that (but I don't mind that my dollar goes to the electric bill of the prison for the month that they fry someone).

A friend of mine from high school was brutally raped and murdered a couple years ago along with some of his friends. The SOBs tried to kill his fiance (they shot her in the head and ran over her with their own truck). But she survived and walked/crawled treked the mile or so down the road (in December) naked and made it to a house to call the police. She wouldn't accept the help of the people at the house until she told them what happened. She was sure she was going to die and she wanted to make sure someone was told the story of what happened before she did. (luckily she didn't end up dying)

It's an absolutely horrendous crime...and it was all a random act of burglery.

Well, they caught those bastards (because they were using the stolen credit cards ands till had the truck)...they were brothers. And I personally look forward to the day that they sit in the big wood chair. (no they haven't yet...but yes, they will...I think. I'm fairly certain Kansas still has the electric chair as an option...I'll have to get back to you on that one)