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If Richard Glossip wasn't sentenced to death, he would likely have languished in prison as long as he lived. That would also be a horrible injustice. People se

If Richard Glossip wasn't sentenced to death, he would likely have languished in prison as long as he lived. That would also be a horrible injustice. People see more motivated by orders of magnitude to get death penalty cases right relative to life incarceration cases. Counterintuitively, justice may be better served by abolishing life imprisonment and mandating the death penalty for cases where periods of imprisonment would exceed 20 years or so. If the innocence rate for executions is 4%, then surely the innocence rate for long term incarceration must be much higher.

kjs3 11y ago
20 year olds commit heinous crimes, too. They might have a somewhat different opinion that you do.
rhizome 11y ago
This is essentially removing the right of appeal for certain classes of cases, and combined with mandatory minimums would bring us back to the age of hanging judges.
efuquen 11y ago
> Counterintuitively, justice may be better served by abolishing life imprisonment and mandating the death penalty for cases where periods of imprisonment would exceed 20 years or so. I've seen several people already share this sentiment and it really confuses me. Because 1) It's made by people who have never, and come from a background where they most likely never would, have to seriously make such a choice. (If I'm wrong let me know). 2) I would venture if you really were faced with such a choice it would not be the automatic "kill me if I get more then 20 years" one that you flippantly imply you would make. I have a feeling when faced with the actual prospects of death vs imprisonment of 20 years or more, rather then on some hypothetical situation in an internet forum, you might decide differently. 3) Even if it was the case you were to decide death over long term imprisonment, what would give you, or the justice system, the right to decide that for anyone else facing that situation? I have a feeling most people would still choose life, even if faced with perpetual imprisonment, over death. And finally lets just assume Richard Glossip was unjustly found guilty of this crime, I know nothing about this case so lets just assume. The problem isn't specifically with the sentence but the fact that he is in fact not guilty, but was deemed guilty by his peers. By killing him you eliminate any possibility of recourse, he already paid the ultimate price. At least with life imprisonment there is still a chance for having some just conclusion, even if it's late and inadequate to the penalty he suffered.
- falsestprophet 11y ago
  Richard Glossip did make this choice. He could have pled guilty and have received a sentence of life imprisonment. In our current system innocent people accused of capital crimes are often faced with the choice of pleading guilty or going to trial and facing the death penalty. This isn't a highly just arrangement.
bratsche 11y ago
> If Richard Glossip wasn't sentenced to death, he would likely have languished in prison as long as he lived. Not necessarily. If Sneed, the guy who actually committed the murder, had not faced the death penalty then would he still have tried to claim that Glossip put him up to it?

kjs3 11y ago

20 year olds commit heinous crimes, too. They might have a somewhat different opinion that you do.

rhizome 11y ago

This is essentially removing the right of appeal for certain classes of cases, and combined with mandatory minimums would bring us back to the age of hanging judges.

efuquen 11y ago

> Counterintuitively, justice may be better served by abolishing life imprisonment and mandating the death penalty for cases where periods of imprisonment would exceed 20 years or so. I've seen several people already share this sentiment and it really confuses me. Because 1) It's made by people who have never, and come from a background where they most likely never would, have to seriously make such a choice. (If I'm wrong let me know). 2) I would venture if you really were faced with such a choice it would not be the automatic "kill me if I get more then 20 years" one that you flippantly imply you would make. I have a feeling when faced with the actual prospects of death vs imprisonment of 20 years or more, rather then on some hypothetical situation in an internet forum, you might decide differently. 3) Even if it was the case you were to decide death over long term imprisonment, what would give you, or the justice system, the right to decide that for anyone else facing that situation? I have a feeling most people would still choose life, even if faced with perpetual imprisonment, over death. And finally lets just assume Richard Glossip was unjustly found guilty of this crime, I know nothing about this case so lets just assume. The problem isn't specifically with the sentence but the fact that he is in fact not guilty, but was deemed guilty by his peers. By killing him you eliminate any possibility of recourse, he already paid the ultimate price. At least with life imprisonment there is still a chance for having some just conclusion, even if it's late and inadequate to the penalty he suffered.

falsestprophet 11y ago
Richard Glossip did make this choice. He could have pled guilty and have received a sentence of life imprisonment. In our current system innocent people accused of capital crimes are often faced with the choice of pleading guilty or going to trial and facing the death penalty. This isn't a highly just arrangement.

bratsche 11y ago

> If Richard Glossip wasn't sentenced to death, he would likely have languished in prison as long as he lived. Not necessarily. If Sneed, the guy who actually committed the murder, had not faced the death penalty then would he still have tried to claim that Glossip put him up to it?