Not to parse words with you my love, but no "one" decides the life/death issue.

It takes a jury of twelve to convict, and then there's the seperate penalty phase of the trial - almost like another trial. The prosecution has established guilt, and the jury has rendered a verdict - now the prosecution has to prove that the crime is so reprehensible, brutal, vicious, that the death penalty is warranted.

All it takes in this instance is one juror to deadlock the jury and instead of execution, the defendant receives a lesser sentence.

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"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx

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Farewell my beautiful Gracie Baby:
15th Jan 1997- 18 Jul 2009

Mak's Blog - Updated 12/3/10

Well, if you're going to maintain any semblence of law and order in a society, then I think that having guilt and innocence decided by an impartial jury is the most fair way to conduct a trial.

If you're asking if a jury has the moral authority to perform retributive justice - this is something that's been discussed since the days of Aristotle and Socrates.

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"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I would say that it's not a matter of do we have the right, but do we have the obligation.... and my belief is yes. IF someone commits a crime that results in the death of another person they should die because no restitution can bring back the victim. Thus, all we can do is make sure that person can never again cause the death of an innocent.

Yes. But, your question is obviously reflecting your opinion that the answer should be "no". So, my question to you is: How should we decide matters of guilt and innocence and mete out punishment to criminals? Since you are from Australia if I interpret your icons rightly, feel free to mix and match your countries ideas with mine. It many prove interesting.

I once served on a jury. My experience is detailed here at my blog. You may find it interesting in a "real world" sort of way.

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Gun Control - HR45 will dilute your liberty

I'm Phil -- 40 something heterosexual white male, fairly self sufficient, great with my kids, wed 26 years to the same woman, and I firmly believe that ones actions have logical consequences. How much more out the box can you get nowadays? -- MSgt of Marines (ret)

New Hampshire tells the Fed to Back Off.

THEN THE TRUTH IT HIT ME ,GOT ME OFF MY KNEES
IT'S MY LIFE I'M LIVING, I'LL LIVE AS I PLEASE - Twisted Sister

But killing the convicted man will never bring back the dead person either, and keeping him in prison also prevents him from killing again.

How should we decide guilt? On the evidence alone. Not our emotions or personal opinions, physical evidence.
How should we mete out punishment? Depends on the crime, doesn't it? No crime is deserving of death, IMO. Spend the rest of your life in jail, fine, but do not kill them.

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Farewell my beautiful Gracie Baby:
15th Jan 1997- 18 Jul 2009

Mak's Blog - Updated 12/3/10

I believe we will end up agreeing to simply disagree.

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Gun Control - HR45 will dilute your liberty

I'm Phil -- 40 something heterosexual white male, fairly self sufficient, great with my kids, wed 26 years to the same woman, and I firmly believe that ones actions have logical consequences. How much more out the box can you get nowadays? -- MSgt of Marines (ret)

New Hampshire tells the Fed to Back Off.

THEN THE TRUTH IT HIT ME ,GOT ME OFF MY KNEES
IT'S MY LIFE I'M LIVING, I'LL LIVE AS I PLEASE - Twisted Sister

What if the only punishment is that we can give out in this world. i.e. most countries that have the death penalty seem to attach all this religious symbolism to the execution as if they are shipping them off to a higher judgement. If there is a higher judgement then why is an express delivery system to that higher judgement required? Surely this higher judgement will happen at a time and date of this supposed higher court, who are we to mess with that timetable? Also I think society should have higher standards than criminals and therefore shouldn’t legalise death.

If you are an atheist then you kind of realise death isn’t punishment enough for some. Some would rather die than spend a life time in prison, so what kind of punishment is that? In regards to the cost issue mentioned earlier I’ve heard it stated that executions are more expensive than the costs of a lifetime in prison. I think this relates to the fact there are some prison labour programmes that living prisoners get to participate in whereas the dead ones can’t make license plates or whatever it is they do in these labour programmes. Dunno for sure.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking up at the stars ~ Oscar Wilde.

There is more stuff floating about in the universe that has no bearing on our lives than there is stuff floating about that does have a bearing on our lives, so what does this say about intelligent design?

What if the only punishment is that we can give out in this world. i.e. most countries that have the death penalty seem to attach all this religious symbolism to the execution as if they are shipping them off to a higher judgement. If there is a higher judgement then why is an express delivery system to that higher judgement required? Surely this higher judgement will happen at a time and date of this supposed higher court, who are we to mess with that timetable? Also I think society should have higher standards than criminals and therefore shouldn’t legalise death.

If you are an atheist then you kind of realise death isn’t punishment enough for some. Some would rather die than spend a life time in prison, so what kind of punishment is that? In regards to the cost issue mentioned earlier I’ve heard it stated that executions are more expensive than the costs of a lifetime in prison. I think this relates to the fact there are some prison labour programmes that living prisoners get to participate in whereas the dead ones can’t make license plates or whatever it is they do in these labour programmes.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking up at the stars ~ Oscar Wilde.

There is more stuff floating about in the universe that has no bearing on our lives than there is stuff floating about that does have a bearing on our lives, so what does this say about intelligent design?

Interesting take adding religion to the mix. I'd still support the DP no matter which way the discussion goes from there.

An atheist should be even more appalled and vengeful than a religious person. Atheists assume that dying is the equal of turning of the lights. Thus a murder victim is not only prematurely dead but all the potential is gone.... forever. A person with religious convictions can at least console himself with the assumption that the victim is in a better place.

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Gun Control - HR45 will dilute your liberty

I'm Phil -- 40 something heterosexual white male, fairly self sufficient, great with my kids, wed 26 years to the same woman, and I firmly believe that ones actions have logical consequences. How much more out the box can you get nowadays? -- MSgt of Marines (ret)

New Hampshire tells the Fed to Back Off.

THEN THE TRUTH IT HIT ME ,GOT ME OFF MY KNEES
IT'S MY LIFE I'M LIVING, I'LL LIVE AS I PLEASE - Twisted Sister

It has to do with our nutty appeals process.