DC Sniper Execution Date Set -- 10 November

[MKSheppard]

Link

RICHMOND, Va. -- A Virginia judge on Wednesday set a Nov. 10 execution date for John Allen Muhammad, mastermind of the 2002 sniper attacks in the Washington, D.C., area that left 10 dead.

The attorney general's office last week requested that the execution be on Nov. 9, but Prince William County Circuit Judge Mary Grace O'Brien chose a day later. The date, which falls on a Tuesday, was picked so courts would be open the day before in case they have to take up last-minute appeals, said Jonathan Sheldon, Mr. Muhammad's attorney.

The date was picked during an early morning conference call with the judge, the attorney general's office and Mr. Sheldon.

Mr. Sheldon said Mr. Muhammad will appeal to the Supreme Court and ask Gov. Timothy M. Kaine for clemency.

Mr. Muhammad was sentenced to death for the slaying of Dean Meyers, who was shot at a Manassas gas station during a three-week killing spree in October 2002 that left 10 dead in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

They were also suspected of shootings in several other states, including a killing in Louisiana and another in Alabama.

His teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, is serving life in prison for the shooting spree.

Last month, a federal appeals court rejected Mr. Muhammad's argument that prosecutors withheld critical evidence and that Mr. Muhammad never should have been allowed to act as his own attorney for a portion of his trial because he was too mentally impaired.

The attorney general's office declined to comment Wednesday.

Copyright © 2009 Associated Press

I'll be definitely circling this one on my calendar -- that kind of interest happens when one of the victims is shot dead in the parking lot of your local supermarket; or you get worried sick one night when your brother is late home from the community college.

[Bluewolf]

Ahhh, got old America. Where would you be without your capital punishment?

[fgalkin]

Do you have a point to make, or are you just trolling?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Bluewolf]

To be honest I detest te death penalty. Though given Shep's location I can probably sympathise a bit on why he would be satisfied with this and to be honest the person is probably one of the more deserving people to get executed. I may be wrong but I don't think people in DC would want this sentence any other way, which is understandable.

[Solauren]

I'm of mixed feelings on the Death penalty (more to come on that).

In this case, however, I think rotting in a jail cell is too good for the "DC Sniper"

His actions were clearly and deliberately pre-meditated. That were calculated. They were methodical.

This was not some crime of passion, mis-guided religious activity, or even drug induced stupidity.

This beings actions are the work of a dangerous, remoreless individual. One without anything resembling human emotions.

He is a intelligent, rabid animal. Put him down as such.



My thoughts on the death penalty (small to avoid span)
My problem with the death penalty is that it is too easy to execute the wrong person for the crime. A false life imprisonment you can sort of repair your life over and get restitution for to compensate. Shitty, but at least you're still alive.

However, if the conviction is airtight, and there is no doubt. i.e the DC Sniper, Paul Bernardo, Charles Manson, etc, then by all means, don't waste taxpayer money on them. Instead, use the money it would take to house them each year to give a few kids a better education, and prevent another being like those from occuring.

[Qwerty 42]

I dislike the death penalty strongly. I don't feel that it has a place in a contemporary justice system. That said, I don't have any sympathy for this individual.

[loomer]

I hope they use his organs for transplants. He won't need them, and if they're in decent condition, they may as well repair some of the net harm he caused.

[General Zod]

I hope they use his organs for transplants. He won't need them, and if they're in decent condition, they may as well repair some of the net harm he caused.

Not terribly likely if they use chemical injection. Though I guess he can always choose electrocution.

[loomer]

They could always harvest them before actually executing him - or bring back hanging for subjects with viable organs for transplant use. If the state has already decided to execute them, they can't really say no to it (or is there some enshrined protection against it in the US?)

[General Zod]

They could always harvest them before actually executing him - or bring back hanging for subjects with viable organs for transplant use. If the state has already decided to execute them, they can't really say no to it (or is there some enshrined protection against it in the US?)

I'm pretty sure harvesting before he's dead violates a number of laws regardless of whether he's set to be executed or not.

[Solauren]

Death by Organ harvesting should be a viable death sentence then.

Come on, removing the guys heart and major organs is a pretty effective way of killing someone.

[General Zod]

Death by Organ harvesting should be a viable death sentence then.

Come on, removing the guys heart and major organs is a pretty effective way of killing someone.

Good luck finding someone willing to do that.

[loomer]

Well, you could just import some people from China. They've been harvesting inmates for a while now, if I recall my shock news correctly. They'd probably have no qualms about it.

EDIT: Whelp, evidently I wasn't remembering it right since I thought it was mandatory.

I'll go on record though and say that it should be mandatory, worldwide.

[ray245]

Well, you could just import some people from China. They've been harvesting inmates for a while now, if I recall my shock news correctly. They'd probably have no qualms about it.

A voluntary donation of their organs by the death row inmates to the general public is hardly something that requires people from China.

[General Zod]

Well, you could just import some people from China. They've been harvesting inmates for a while now, if I recall my shock news correctly. They'd probably have no qualms about it.

The inmates there sign a waiver to have their organs removed after they're dead. Execution by organ removal is, you know, an entirely different matter.

[ray245]

EDIT: Whelp, evidently I wasn't remembering it right since I thought it was mandatory.

I'll go on record though and say that it should be mandatory, worldwide.

Or you could simply implement an opt-out program for Organ donations, in regards to the death row inmates.

[General Zod]

Well, you could just import some people from China. They've been harvesting inmates for a while now, if I recall my shock news correctly. They'd probably have no qualms about it.

EDIT: Whelp, evidently I wasn't remembering it right since I thought it was mandatory.

I'll go on record though and say that it should be mandatory, worldwide.

There's plenty of issues with mandatory donation that's already been covered before in other threads. Least of all that the vast majority of inmates are not going to be suitable donor candidates.

[The Spartan]

And even if they are, doctors are not supposed to participate in executions beyond verifying that the condemned is dead regardless of their personal feelings on the matter. In fact, a doctor that does so faces loss of license as I recall.

Besides, lethal injection tends to leave the organs unsuitable for transplant even if they were before hand.

[Azazal]

One option that has been brought in the past, but has not gone anywhere is Nitrogen asphyxiation it is suppose to provide a somewhat painless death, and leaves the body unharmed so that the organs could be used if the condemned had volunteered them for use.

As for the OP, much like McVeigh, I will not shed a tear for John Allen Muhammad.

[Serafina]

Or could do it the classical way - chop the head of.
Seriously, i do not understand why they do not do that anymore.

Mind you, i am against the death penalty anyway. Even in the case of such cold-blooded murderers.

[Broomstick]

I hope they use his organs for transplants. He won't need them, and if they're in decent condition, they may as well repair some of the net harm he caused.

The US forbids using the organs of an executed criminal for transplant. No exceptions.

I think it's to avoid "encouraging" the use of the death penalty to harvest organs, but I'm not entirely sure that's formally written down somewhere.

In any case, most methods of execution, including lethal injection, would render the organs involved entirely useless for transplantation.

[The Spartan]

Or could do it the classical way - chop the head of.
Seriously, i do not understand why they do not do that anymore.

Because it's gruesome, and the people, for all their howling about being tough on crime and punishing the guilty, don't want gruesome. They want clinical. Clean. Not blood gushing or bodyless heads silently screaming in pain and horror.

Sure, you'll find a few that'll talk tough about it and then of course there's those who oppose it entirely, but if there's to be a death penalty in today's society it's going to be as I said.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Ahh, I love Madame Guillotine, too. It is definitely the most preferred method of execution, save firing squad, but that should be reserved for more honourable sorts of people. I have ethical issues with lethal injection which mean I can't really support anyone being executed by that method, since it's basically obscenely cruel and contrary to human dignity and the person being executed is, well, still a person.

[Ryan Thunder]

Ahh, I love Madame Guillotine, too. It is definitely the most preferred method of execution, save firing squad, but that should be reserved for more honourable sorts of people. I have ethical issues with lethal injection which mean I can't really support anyone being executed by that method, since it's basically obscenely cruel and contrary to human dignity and the person being executed is, well, still a person.

What's so honourable about a firing squad?

[Master of Ossus]

Enjoy your virgins, scumbag.