I hope that this special day will be nice and wonderful for you !
God bless you !
Big hugs !
Anne
Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Topics - AnneTheBelgian
on: November 04, 2012, 02:59:37 AM 1 Off Topic / Off Topic - Anything / HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA :-) !!!
Dear Amanda,
I hope that this special day will be nice and wonderful for you !
God bless you !
Big hugs !
Anne
I hope that this special day will be nice and wonderful for you !
God bless you !
Big hugs !
Anne
on: October 04, 2012, 10:34:37 AM 2 Off Topic / Off Topic - Anything / HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLYNIS (AKA GGBOP) :-) !!!
Dear Glynis (aka ggbop),
I hope that you have a good day.
I have seen you this year, on May, in Scotland and I am blessed with that ! Thanks again !
God bless you !
Big hugs !
Anne
I hope that you have a good day.
I have seen you this year, on May, in Scotland and I am blessed with that ! Thanks again !
God bless you !
Big hugs !
Anne
on: September 27, 2012, 10:57:38 AM 3 Off Topic / Off Topic - Anything / HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN (AKA KITTEN RESQ) :-)
Dear Karen (aka Kitten Resq),
Have a nice Thursday !
God bless you !
Big hugs !
Anne
Have a nice Thursday !
God bless you !
Big hugs !
Anne
on: July 18, 2012, 01:32:23 PM 4 General Death Penalty / Stays of Execution / Anthony C. Haynes - TX - 10/18/2012 STAYED
The execution of this POS is scheduled for October 18, 2012 !
Link : http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/dr_scheduled_executions.html
Here is a photo of him and his special page (link : http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/dr_info/haynesanthony.html)
Other link : http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=3556.msg55783#msg55783
GO TEXAS
Anne
Link : http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/dr_scheduled_executions.html
Here is a photo of him and his special page (link : http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/dr_info/haynesanthony.html)
Other link : http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=3556.msg55783#msg55783
GO TEXAS Anne
on: July 04, 2012, 10:26:10 AM 5 Off Topic / Off Topic - Anything / United States of Amercia, July 4th 2012...
Dear Members, Dear Friends here,
Today is a special day for the United States of America...
HAPPY JULY 4TH TO ALL THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT NATION
GOD BLESS AMERICA, I LOVE YOU
Anne
Today is a special day for the United States of America...
HAPPY JULY 4TH TO ALL THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT NATION
GOD BLESS AMERICA, I LOVE YOU
Anne
on: May 18, 2012, 12:25:35 PM 6 General Death Penalty / U.S. Death Penalty Discussion / Alabama Supreme Court Refused To Hear Appeal From Walter Moody, 1989 Murder
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/05/court_refuses_to_hear_latest_a.html
Alabama Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal by condemned pipe bomber Walter Leroy Moody
Published: Friday, May 18, 2012, 11:26 AM
Updated: Friday, May 18, 2012, 11:26 AM
By Eric Velasco -- The Birmingham News
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Alabama Supreme Court today refused to hear the latest appeal by Walter Leroy Moody, who was sentenced to death in 1996 for the pipe-bomb murder of federal appeals judge Robert Vance.
Moody, 77, is pursuing what is known as a Rule 32 appeal challenging his conviction and death sentence, which occurs after the initial round of direct appeals in state and federal courts.
A Jefferson County judge rejected Moody's Rule 32 petition in 2010 and the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals denied his appeal late last year. On Friday, the Alabama Supreme Court denied Moody's request for the state high court to hear the appeal.
Vance was killed Dec. 16, 1989, and his wife, Helen, was seriously injured after the judge opened a package that had been sent to his home, detonating the pipe bomb. Two days later, a similar pipe bomb killed a lawyer in Atlanta. Those were followed by two other bombs that were defused, one in Georgia and one in Florida.
Moody was linked to the crimes through a similar bomb nearly two decades earlier that had injured his wife when it exploded. His prosecution in that case led to a lingering resentment of the courts that built into the 1989 bombings.
Moody was arrested in 1991. He was tried first in federal court, receiving seven consecutive sentences of life without parole, before his capital conviction in Jefferson County Circuit Court. Moody is held on Death Row at the Holman Correctional Facility.
Other link : http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=12166.msg109186#msg109186
Photo : The death row inmate and murderer Walter Leroy Moody
Anne
Alabama Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal by condemned pipe bomber Walter Leroy Moody
Published: Friday, May 18, 2012, 11:26 AM
Updated: Friday, May 18, 2012, 11:26 AM
By Eric Velasco -- The Birmingham News
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Alabama Supreme Court today refused to hear the latest appeal by Walter Leroy Moody, who was sentenced to death in 1996 for the pipe-bomb murder of federal appeals judge Robert Vance.
Moody, 77, is pursuing what is known as a Rule 32 appeal challenging his conviction and death sentence, which occurs after the initial round of direct appeals in state and federal courts.
A Jefferson County judge rejected Moody's Rule 32 petition in 2010 and the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals denied his appeal late last year. On Friday, the Alabama Supreme Court denied Moody's request for the state high court to hear the appeal.
Vance was killed Dec. 16, 1989, and his wife, Helen, was seriously injured after the judge opened a package that had been sent to his home, detonating the pipe bomb. Two days later, a similar pipe bomb killed a lawyer in Atlanta. Those were followed by two other bombs that were defused, one in Georgia and one in Florida.
Moody was linked to the crimes through a similar bomb nearly two decades earlier that had injured his wife when it exploded. His prosecution in that case led to a lingering resentment of the courts that built into the 1989 bombings.
Moody was arrested in 1991. He was tried first in federal court, receiving seven consecutive sentences of life without parole, before his capital conviction in Jefferson County Circuit Court. Moody is held on Death Row at the Holman Correctional Facility.
Other link : http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=12166.msg109186#msg109186
Photo : The death row inmate and murderer Walter Leroy Moody
Anne
on: April 30, 2012, 10:46:50 AM 7 Across the Globe / World Death Penalty Discussion / Jordan Death Penalty News
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/04/30/211307.html
MONDAY, 30 April 2012 Alarabiya.net English
Last Updated: Mon Apr 30, 2012 18:16 pm (KSA) 15:16 pm (GMT)
Jordanian to hang for raping, killing girlfriend
Monday, 30 April 2012
By AFP
Amman
A Jordanian was condemned to death on Monday for raping and stabbing his teenage girlfriend to death before burning her body because her family refused to let him marry her, a court official said.
“The criminal court in Amman sentenced the 19-year-old to death by hanging for finding him guilty of murdering his girlfriend, who was also 19, in May last year,” he told AFP.
“He wanted to marry the girl, but her family refused.”
The official said the convict “got enraged and decided to commit his crime.”
“He took the girl to a deserted area south of Amman, where he raped and stabbed her to death several times in the neck, chest and stomach,” he added.
“The next day, he burned her body and turned himself into police, confessing to the murder.”
Murder is punishable by death in Jordan but, in so-called “honor killings,” courts sometimes commute or reduce sentences.
Between 15 and 20 women die in such murders each year in the Arab kingdom.
Anne
MONDAY, 30 April 2012 Alarabiya.net English
Last Updated: Mon Apr 30, 2012 18:16 pm (KSA) 15:16 pm (GMT)
Jordanian to hang for raping, killing girlfriend
Monday, 30 April 2012
By AFP
Amman
A Jordanian was condemned to death on Monday for raping and stabbing his teenage girlfriend to death before burning her body because her family refused to let him marry her, a court official said.
“The criminal court in Amman sentenced the 19-year-old to death by hanging for finding him guilty of murdering his girlfriend, who was also 19, in May last year,” he told AFP.
“He wanted to marry the girl, but her family refused.”
The official said the convict “got enraged and decided to commit his crime.”
“He took the girl to a deserted area south of Amman, where he raped and stabbed her to death several times in the neck, chest and stomach,” he added.
“The next day, he burned her body and turned himself into police, confessing to the murder.”
Murder is punishable by death in Jordan but, in so-called “honor killings,” courts sometimes commute or reduce sentences.
Between 15 and 20 women die in such murders each year in the Arab kingdom.
Anne
on: April 30, 2012, 09:52:54 AM 8 General Death Penalty / U.S. Death Penalty Discussion / Rolling Back The Death Penalty
I have found this article :
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/149510925.html
Rolling back the death penalty
Article by: E.J. DIONNE JR. , Washington Post
Updated: April 30, 2012 - 11:07 AM
Since the 2010 elections, the activism of newly empowered conservative and Republican state legislatures has gained national attention with their wars on public employee unions, additional restrictions on abortion, and new barriers to voting.
Against this backdrop, the little state of Connecticut has loomed as a large progressive exception. Last year, it became the first state to require employers to grant paid sick leave. It also enacted a law granting in-state tuition to students whose parents brought them to the United States illegally as young children.
And recently, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy signed a law repealing the state's death penalty. There are now 17 states without capital punishment, Illinois having joined the ranks last year. What happened in Connecticut brings home the flaw in seeing everything that has happened in the states since the midterm vote as embodying a steady shift rightward.
Where they hold power, progressives have also been using their states as laboratories, and Malloy is part of an impressive group of mostly smaller-state Democratic governors who have combined a moderate, business-friendly style with progressive policymaking. Their ranks include, among others, Govs. Jack Markell in Delaware, Martin O'Malley in Maryland, John Hickenlooper in Colorado, Deval Patrick in Massachusetts and outgoing Gov. John Lynch in New Hampshire.
After the 2012 election, a key front in the battle for America's political future will involve how the various left and right experiments in the states are judged. Aggressive conservatives such as Govs. Scott Walker in Wisconsin and John Kasich in Ohio are in the headlines now, and the recall Walker faces will keep him there for a while. But there will be a quieter and more comprehensive reckoning down the road.
Part of this reckoning will be a remarkable pivot in the politics of the death penalty, the premier issue on which an overwhelming consensus favoring what's taken to be the conservative side has begun to crumble.
In the 1980s and '90s, capital punishment was a staple of Republican campaigns against a handful of liberals who bravely stuck with their opposition to the ultimate punishment. George H.W. Bush used the issue effectively against Democrat Mike Dukakis in the 1988 presidential campaign, and so did Republicans in their 1994 electoral sweep, notably in defeating three-term Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo in New York. And no wonder: In 1994, support for the death penalty hit its peak of 80 percent nationwide.
But a Gallup survey last fall showed how much things have changed: Support for capital punishment was down to 61 percent. Among the many reasons for the drop are a decline in crime rates, which has increased public confidence in the criminal justice system, and a stream of reports casting doubt on the guilt of some who were executed. In addition, significant groups of libertarian Republicans and opponents of abortion have crossed to the repeal side. An important test of the new politics of capital punishment will come this November in a California death penalty referendum.
For all this, it still takes political courage to end capital punishment. A Quinnipiac University poll released last week as Malloy signed the death penalty repeal found 62 percent of Connecticut voters still favoring executions of those convicted of murder, with only 30 percent opposed. Just 29 percent approved of the Legislature's handling of the issue, while 51 percent disapproved.
But (and it's a very important but) support for the death penalty, in Connecticut and elsewhere, is not as robust as it looks. When Quinnipiac asked a different question -- "Which punishment do you prefer for people convicted of murder, the death penalty, or life in prison with no chance of parole?" -- only 46 percent favored the death penalty. An equal number chose life without parole. Death penalty opponents have an opening they haven't had for some time.
Moreover, voters aren't as agitated by the issue as they once were. Only 37 percent of Connecticut voters told Quinnipiac that the issue would be "extremely" or "very" important to how they cast their ballots in legislative elections.
Malloy is under no illusions about the strong residual opposition to repeal. When he signed the repeal bill last Wednesday, he did so with little ceremony, carefully observing that "many people whom I deeply respect, including friends and family ... believe the death penalty is just."
Nonetheless, what Malloy did was historic, and it was a sign that despite the dreary polarization that characterizes our debates, American politics is still capable of springing surprises.
Photo : Dr. William Petit Jr., left, speaks to the media as his sister Johanna Chapman looks on at the Capitol in Hartford, Conn., in early April. The sole survivor of the deadly Cheshire home invasion made an eleventh-hour push to persuade members of the Connecticut Senate to oppose efforts to repeal the state's death penalty.
(Photo: Jim Michaud, Associated Press)
Anne
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/149510925.html
Rolling back the death penalty
Article by: E.J. DIONNE JR. , Washington Post
Updated: April 30, 2012 - 11:07 AM
Since the 2010 elections, the activism of newly empowered conservative and Republican state legislatures has gained national attention with their wars on public employee unions, additional restrictions on abortion, and new barriers to voting.
Against this backdrop, the little state of Connecticut has loomed as a large progressive exception. Last year, it became the first state to require employers to grant paid sick leave. It also enacted a law granting in-state tuition to students whose parents brought them to the United States illegally as young children.
And recently, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy signed a law repealing the state's death penalty. There are now 17 states without capital punishment, Illinois having joined the ranks last year. What happened in Connecticut brings home the flaw in seeing everything that has happened in the states since the midterm vote as embodying a steady shift rightward.
Where they hold power, progressives have also been using their states as laboratories, and Malloy is part of an impressive group of mostly smaller-state Democratic governors who have combined a moderate, business-friendly style with progressive policymaking. Their ranks include, among others, Govs. Jack Markell in Delaware, Martin O'Malley in Maryland, John Hickenlooper in Colorado, Deval Patrick in Massachusetts and outgoing Gov. John Lynch in New Hampshire.
After the 2012 election, a key front in the battle for America's political future will involve how the various left and right experiments in the states are judged. Aggressive conservatives such as Govs. Scott Walker in Wisconsin and John Kasich in Ohio are in the headlines now, and the recall Walker faces will keep him there for a while. But there will be a quieter and more comprehensive reckoning down the road.
Part of this reckoning will be a remarkable pivot in the politics of the death penalty, the premier issue on which an overwhelming consensus favoring what's taken to be the conservative side has begun to crumble.
In the 1980s and '90s, capital punishment was a staple of Republican campaigns against a handful of liberals who bravely stuck with their opposition to the ultimate punishment. George H.W. Bush used the issue effectively against Democrat Mike Dukakis in the 1988 presidential campaign, and so did Republicans in their 1994 electoral sweep, notably in defeating three-term Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo in New York. And no wonder: In 1994, support for the death penalty hit its peak of 80 percent nationwide.
But a Gallup survey last fall showed how much things have changed: Support for capital punishment was down to 61 percent. Among the many reasons for the drop are a decline in crime rates, which has increased public confidence in the criminal justice system, and a stream of reports casting doubt on the guilt of some who were executed. In addition, significant groups of libertarian Republicans and opponents of abortion have crossed to the repeal side. An important test of the new politics of capital punishment will come this November in a California death penalty referendum.
For all this, it still takes political courage to end capital punishment. A Quinnipiac University poll released last week as Malloy signed the death penalty repeal found 62 percent of Connecticut voters still favoring executions of those convicted of murder, with only 30 percent opposed. Just 29 percent approved of the Legislature's handling of the issue, while 51 percent disapproved.
But (and it's a very important but) support for the death penalty, in Connecticut and elsewhere, is not as robust as it looks. When Quinnipiac asked a different question -- "Which punishment do you prefer for people convicted of murder, the death penalty, or life in prison with no chance of parole?" -- only 46 percent favored the death penalty. An equal number chose life without parole. Death penalty opponents have an opening they haven't had for some time.
Moreover, voters aren't as agitated by the issue as they once were. Only 37 percent of Connecticut voters told Quinnipiac that the issue would be "extremely" or "very" important to how they cast their ballots in legislative elections.
Malloy is under no illusions about the strong residual opposition to repeal. When he signed the repeal bill last Wednesday, he did so with little ceremony, carefully observing that "many people whom I deeply respect, including friends and family ... believe the death penalty is just."
Nonetheless, what Malloy did was historic, and it was a sign that despite the dreary polarization that characterizes our debates, American politics is still capable of springing surprises.
Photo : Dr. William Petit Jr., left, speaks to the media as his sister Johanna Chapman looks on at the Capitol in Hartford, Conn., in early April. The sole survivor of the deadly Cheshire home invasion made an eleventh-hour push to persuade members of the Connecticut Senate to oppose efforts to repeal the state's death penalty.
(Photo: Jim Michaud, Associated Press)Anne
on: April 10, 2012, 09:16:14 AM 9 General Crime / U.S. Crime Related News / Trial Of Jason Williford : Jury Selection Begins, 2010 Murder, Could Face The DP
http://www2.wnct.com/news/2012/apr/06/10/jury-selection-set-begin-taft-murder-case-ar-2135390/
(with video)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Jury selection resumes in Taft murder case
By: Andrea Blanford | Eyewitness News 9 , WNCT Staff | WNCT
Published: April 06, 2012
Updated: April 10, 2012 - 10:28 AM
RALEIGH, N.C. - Jury selection resumes today in the trial of Jason Williford.
Prosecutors say he raped and beat to death state school board member and Greenvile native Kathy Taft inside a Raleigh home in March 2010 in a seemingly random crime.
Williford could face the death penalty if he's convicted.
Jury selection could take several weeks.
--- Original Story ---
RALEIGH,N.C. (WNCT)- Jury selection is underway in the murder trial of a Raleigh man accused of raping and killing state school board member Kathy Taft.
32-year-old Jason Williford sits in a Wake County courtroom ready to stand trial for the murder of a woman so many people knew and loved.
"If I were describing Kathy I'd just say she was a good and decent human being, a very thoughtful and caring person,” said Pat Dunn, former Greenville Mayor.
Dunn called Kathy Taft her friend.
She lived inGreenville, supported local schools and served on the State Board of Education. At 62 years old, while recovering from neck surgery at a friend's house inRaleighTaft was beaten and raped. She died three days later leaving children and grandchildren behind.
"Detective Hodge just said, we got him,” said Paige Fukua, Kathy Taft's daughter back in April 2010. “And I was speechless and I said, are you sure? And he said we're sure."
Nine on Your Side talked with Taft's daughter Paige Fukua and son Jonathan Taft just after Raleigh Police arrested and charged Williford with killing their mother.
"To me he's just pure evil and I would like to just stare at him in the eyes and force him to recognize what he did,” Jonathan said.
Raleigh Police say DNA evidence from one of Williford's cigarette butts ties him to the murder. Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby says if Williford is convicted, the facts of the case will justify the death penalty.
"The brutality and the fact that someone was in their home when they were randomly selected for violence,” saidWilloughby.
Now more than two years later Taft’s friends just want to see her loved ones at peace again.
"I think what this- what the trial will do will help bring closure,” said Dunn. “But it certainly will not relieve them of the intense pain and grief that they're experiencing. My heart really goes out to them."
Jason Williford is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree forcible rape in Taft’s death.
Other links : 1. http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=215679
Kathy Taft's Murder Suspect Enters Not Guilty Plea
10:03 PM, Feb 21, 2012
Written by The Associated Press
Raleigh, NC-- The man accused in the death of state school board member Kathy Taft has pleaded not guilty.
Jason K. Williford entered the plea during a hearing Tuesday in a Wake County courtroom. Williford is charged in the March 2010 rape and death of Taft at a home in Raleigh.
Defense attorneys on Monday asked Superior Court Judge Paul Gessner to throw out DNA evidence it believes was improperly gathered. Attorney Michael Driver says police should have obtained a search warrant before picking up the cigarette butt. Gessner rejected the defense request.
Williford's trial is scheduled to begin on April 9. Gessner agreed to a delay after defense attorneys complained about not having enough time to go through DNA reports and other evidence.
2. http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=140629
Police: Raleigh Man Arrested In Connection With State School Board Member's Death
6:05 PM, Apr 16, 2010
Written by Carrie Hodgin
WFMY News 2/WRAL
Raleigh, NC -- Authorities arrested a Raleigh man Friday evening in the death of State Board of Education member Kathy Taft.
Police arrested 30-year-old, Jason Williford, of Wayland Drive.
Taft, 62, died March 9 at WakeMed, three days after she was assaulted in the home of a friend and suffered a severe head injury. Search warrants released last Friday also state that she was sexually assaulted.
Taft, of Greenville, had undergone neck surgery in Raleigh on and was recovering at a friend's home. Taft's friend was in Florida at the time.
3. http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=11633.msg85829#msg85829
4. http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=1261.msg60061#msg60061
Photos : 1. The victim Kathy Taft
2. The murderer Jason Williford
Rest in Peace Madam Taft God bless you
Anne
(with video)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Jury selection resumes in Taft murder case
By: Andrea Blanford | Eyewitness News 9 , WNCT Staff | WNCT
Published: April 06, 2012
Updated: April 10, 2012 - 10:28 AM
RALEIGH, N.C. - Jury selection resumes today in the trial of Jason Williford.
Prosecutors say he raped and beat to death state school board member and Greenvile native Kathy Taft inside a Raleigh home in March 2010 in a seemingly random crime.
Williford could face the death penalty if he's convicted.
Jury selection could take several weeks.
--- Original Story ---
RALEIGH,N.C. (WNCT)- Jury selection is underway in the murder trial of a Raleigh man accused of raping and killing state school board member Kathy Taft.
32-year-old Jason Williford sits in a Wake County courtroom ready to stand trial for the murder of a woman so many people knew and loved.
"If I were describing Kathy I'd just say she was a good and decent human being, a very thoughtful and caring person,” said Pat Dunn, former Greenville Mayor.
Dunn called Kathy Taft her friend.
She lived inGreenville, supported local schools and served on the State Board of Education. At 62 years old, while recovering from neck surgery at a friend's house inRaleighTaft was beaten and raped. She died three days later leaving children and grandchildren behind.
"Detective Hodge just said, we got him,” said Paige Fukua, Kathy Taft's daughter back in April 2010. “And I was speechless and I said, are you sure? And he said we're sure."
Nine on Your Side talked with Taft's daughter Paige Fukua and son Jonathan Taft just after Raleigh Police arrested and charged Williford with killing their mother.
"To me he's just pure evil and I would like to just stare at him in the eyes and force him to recognize what he did,” Jonathan said.
Raleigh Police say DNA evidence from one of Williford's cigarette butts ties him to the murder. Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby says if Williford is convicted, the facts of the case will justify the death penalty.
"The brutality and the fact that someone was in their home when they were randomly selected for violence,” saidWilloughby.
Now more than two years later Taft’s friends just want to see her loved ones at peace again.
"I think what this- what the trial will do will help bring closure,” said Dunn. “But it certainly will not relieve them of the intense pain and grief that they're experiencing. My heart really goes out to them."
Jason Williford is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree forcible rape in Taft’s death.
Other links : 1. http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=215679
Kathy Taft's Murder Suspect Enters Not Guilty Plea
10:03 PM, Feb 21, 2012
Written by The Associated Press
Raleigh, NC-- The man accused in the death of state school board member Kathy Taft has pleaded not guilty.
Jason K. Williford entered the plea during a hearing Tuesday in a Wake County courtroom. Williford is charged in the March 2010 rape and death of Taft at a home in Raleigh.
Defense attorneys on Monday asked Superior Court Judge Paul Gessner to throw out DNA evidence it believes was improperly gathered. Attorney Michael Driver says police should have obtained a search warrant before picking up the cigarette butt. Gessner rejected the defense request.
Williford's trial is scheduled to begin on April 9. Gessner agreed to a delay after defense attorneys complained about not having enough time to go through DNA reports and other evidence.
2. http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=140629
Police: Raleigh Man Arrested In Connection With State School Board Member's Death
6:05 PM, Apr 16, 2010
Written by Carrie Hodgin
WFMY News 2/WRAL
Raleigh, NC -- Authorities arrested a Raleigh man Friday evening in the death of State Board of Education member Kathy Taft.
Police arrested 30-year-old, Jason Williford, of Wayland Drive.
Taft, 62, died March 9 at WakeMed, three days after she was assaulted in the home of a friend and suffered a severe head injury. Search warrants released last Friday also state that she was sexually assaulted.
Taft, of Greenville, had undergone neck surgery in Raleigh on and was recovering at a friend's home. Taft's friend was in Florida at the time.
3. http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=11633.msg85829#msg85829
4. http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=1261.msg60061#msg60061
Photos : 1. The victim Kathy Taft
2. The murderer Jason Williford
Rest in Peace Madam Taft
God bless you Anne
on: April 10, 2012, 08:51:33 AM 10 General Crime / U.S. Crime Related News / Former Soldier Dwight Smith Could Face The Death Penalty, Accused Of 2011 Murder
http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/Former-Fort-Drum-Soldier-Could-Face-Death-Penalty-In-Delaware-146779595.html
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Former Fort Drum Soldier Could Face Death Penalty In Delaware
Story Published: Apr 10, 2012 at 5:56 AM EDT
Story Updated: Apr 10, 2012 at 5:56 AM EDT
A former Fort Drum soldier accused of kidnapping, raping and killing a woman in Delaware could face the death penalty.
Authorities say a grand jury returned a six-count indictment of Dwight Smith on Monday.
Attorney General Beau Biden said the aggravating circumstances make the case eligible for the death penalty.
Smith is accused of killing 65-year-old Marsha Lee of Wilmington, who was taking her dog for a walk on Dec. 19.
According to police, Smith targeted Lee at random after deciding he wanted to kill somebody, hitting her with his sport utility vehicle, stuffing her inside, then beating her to death.
Smith was on leave from Fort Drum at the time of Lee's death, having previously served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Other link : http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/Fort-Drum-Soldier-Accused-Of-Kidnapping-Murder-In-Delaware-135986943.html
(with video)
Fort Drum Soldier Accused Of Kidnapping, Murder In Delaware
Story Published: Dec 21, 2011 at 11:07 AM EDT
Story Updated: Dec 21, 2011 at 7:34 PM EDT
A Fort Drum soldier, veteran of two wars and Purple Heart recipient has allegedly admitted to kidnapping and murdering a woman in Delaware.
According to CBS Philly.com, Staff Sgt. Dwight Smith Jr. kidnapped the 65-year old woman while she was walking her dog and later killed her.
The website also quotes police who say Smith told them he intentionally killed the woman.
A veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he was on leave from Fort Drum at the time of the incident. He is a resident of Delaware.
He is currently being held in jail without bail.
Fort Drum officials say Smith was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
He joined the Army in July 2006 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Smith was deployed to Iraq from September 2007 to November 2008 and to Afghanistan from May 2010 to April 2011.
He was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and came to Fort Drum in September.
Smith's awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the NATO medal, four Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Meritorious Unit Commendations, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, the Marksman Qualification Badge - Carbine, and the Marksman Qualification Badge - Field Artillery.
Photo : The murderer Dwight Smith
Anne
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Former Fort Drum Soldier Could Face Death Penalty In Delaware
Story Published: Apr 10, 2012 at 5:56 AM EDT
Story Updated: Apr 10, 2012 at 5:56 AM EDT
A former Fort Drum soldier accused of kidnapping, raping and killing a woman in Delaware could face the death penalty.
Authorities say a grand jury returned a six-count indictment of Dwight Smith on Monday.
Attorney General Beau Biden said the aggravating circumstances make the case eligible for the death penalty.
Smith is accused of killing 65-year-old Marsha Lee of Wilmington, who was taking her dog for a walk on Dec. 19.
According to police, Smith targeted Lee at random after deciding he wanted to kill somebody, hitting her with his sport utility vehicle, stuffing her inside, then beating her to death.
Smith was on leave from Fort Drum at the time of Lee's death, having previously served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Other link : http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/Fort-Drum-Soldier-Accused-Of-Kidnapping-Murder-In-Delaware-135986943.html
(with video)
Fort Drum Soldier Accused Of Kidnapping, Murder In Delaware
Story Published: Dec 21, 2011 at 11:07 AM EDT
Story Updated: Dec 21, 2011 at 7:34 PM EDT
A Fort Drum soldier, veteran of two wars and Purple Heart recipient has allegedly admitted to kidnapping and murdering a woman in Delaware.
According to CBS Philly.com, Staff Sgt. Dwight Smith Jr. kidnapped the 65-year old woman while she was walking her dog and later killed her.
The website also quotes police who say Smith told them he intentionally killed the woman.
A veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he was on leave from Fort Drum at the time of the incident. He is a resident of Delaware.
He is currently being held in jail without bail.
Fort Drum officials say Smith was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
He joined the Army in July 2006 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Smith was deployed to Iraq from September 2007 to November 2008 and to Afghanistan from May 2010 to April 2011.
He was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and came to Fort Drum in September.
Smith's awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the NATO medal, four Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Meritorious Unit Commendations, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, the Marksman Qualification Badge - Carbine, and the Marksman Qualification Badge - Field Artillery.
Photo : The murderer Dwight Smith
Anne
on: April 06, 2012, 01:01:36 PM 11 General Death Penalty / U.S. Death Penalty Discussion / Oklahoma Court Rejects DR Inmate's Patrick Murphy Claim,Retardation,1999 Murder
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/9a2dddfb58dd4e55b02fbac42cd7e0cc/OK--Death-Penalty-Retardation/
Oklahoma court rejects death row inmate's claim he can't be executed because he's retarded
TIM TALLEY Associated Press
First Posted: April 05, 2012 - 7:32 pm
Last Updated: April 05, 2012 - 7:33 pm
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma appeals court on Thursday rejected a death row inmate's claim that he is mentally retarded and should not be executed for the slaying of his girlfriend's ex-husband in 1999.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals handed down the decision in the case of Patrick Dwayne Murphy, 42, who was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to die for the death of George Jacobs, 49, of rural McIntosh County. Both Murphy and Jacobs were members of the Creek Nation.
Authorities said Jacobs was beaten and slashed to death. His genitals were cut off and his body dumped in a ditch. At his trial, Murphy testified he was intoxicated on the day of the beating and couldn't remember what happened. His defense attorneys argued Murphy was so drunk that he was incapable of forming the specific criminal intent legally necessary to commit murder.
Prosecutors who sought the death penalty argued it was warranted because Murphy is a continuing threat to society and Jacobs' murder was "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel."
On appeal, Murphy claimed he is mentally retarded and should not be executed. The U.S. Supreme Court has banned the execution of the mentally retarded, and the state appeals court has said an IQ of under 70 could be a factor in a jury's determination of whether an inmate is retarded.
In 2005, the appeals court ordered McIntosh County Judge Thomas Bartheld to empanel a jury to determine whether Murphy's claims were true. Following a four-day trial, the jury determined Murphy was not mentally retarded, but Bartheld threw out the jury's findings because of a procedural technicality.
Before a new jury could be empanelled, Bartheld granted a motion by prosecutors to end the proceedings. In granting the motion, Bartheld ruled that Murphy had received two separate IQ scores above 76 on scientifically recognized, standardized IQ tests.
In a unanimous decision written by Judge Gary Lumpkin of Madill, the five-member appeals court said the Legislature has given capital defendants in Oklahoma the benefit of a standard measurement of error in the administration of the IQ tests. But state law disqualifies anyone from being considered mentally retarded in a death-penalty case if the individual has received an IQ score of 76 or higher on a scientifically recognized, standardized test.
The appellate decision says Murphy received IQ scores of 80 and 82 on tests administered by two psychologists.
"Petitioner received all that Oklahoma law allows him," the ruling states. "There is nothing unsettled about petitioner's mental retardation claim."
Murphy's defense attorney, Gary Henry of the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
Other links : 1. http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=6338.msg43826#msg43826
2. http://www.doc.state.ok.us/offenders/DRMR.pdf
Photo : The murderer Patrick Dwayne Murphy
Anne
Oklahoma court rejects death row inmate's claim he can't be executed because he's retarded
TIM TALLEY Associated Press
First Posted: April 05, 2012 - 7:32 pm
Last Updated: April 05, 2012 - 7:33 pm
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma appeals court on Thursday rejected a death row inmate's claim that he is mentally retarded and should not be executed for the slaying of his girlfriend's ex-husband in 1999.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals handed down the decision in the case of Patrick Dwayne Murphy, 42, who was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to die for the death of George Jacobs, 49, of rural McIntosh County. Both Murphy and Jacobs were members of the Creek Nation.
Authorities said Jacobs was beaten and slashed to death. His genitals were cut off and his body dumped in a ditch. At his trial, Murphy testified he was intoxicated on the day of the beating and couldn't remember what happened. His defense attorneys argued Murphy was so drunk that he was incapable of forming the specific criminal intent legally necessary to commit murder.
Prosecutors who sought the death penalty argued it was warranted because Murphy is a continuing threat to society and Jacobs' murder was "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel."
On appeal, Murphy claimed he is mentally retarded and should not be executed. The U.S. Supreme Court has banned the execution of the mentally retarded, and the state appeals court has said an IQ of under 70 could be a factor in a jury's determination of whether an inmate is retarded.
In 2005, the appeals court ordered McIntosh County Judge Thomas Bartheld to empanel a jury to determine whether Murphy's claims were true. Following a four-day trial, the jury determined Murphy was not mentally retarded, but Bartheld threw out the jury's findings because of a procedural technicality.
Before a new jury could be empanelled, Bartheld granted a motion by prosecutors to end the proceedings. In granting the motion, Bartheld ruled that Murphy had received two separate IQ scores above 76 on scientifically recognized, standardized IQ tests.
In a unanimous decision written by Judge Gary Lumpkin of Madill, the five-member appeals court said the Legislature has given capital defendants in Oklahoma the benefit of a standard measurement of error in the administration of the IQ tests. But state law disqualifies anyone from being considered mentally retarded in a death-penalty case if the individual has received an IQ score of 76 or higher on a scientifically recognized, standardized test.
The appellate decision says Murphy received IQ scores of 80 and 82 on tests administered by two psychologists.
"Petitioner received all that Oklahoma law allows him," the ruling states. "There is nothing unsettled about petitioner's mental retardation claim."
Murphy's defense attorney, Gary Henry of the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
Other links : 1. http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=6338.msg43826#msg43826
2. http://www.doc.state.ok.us/offenders/DRMR.pdf
Photo : The murderer Patrick Dwayne Murphy
Anne
on: April 05, 2012, 10:30:41 AM 12 Across the Globe / World Death Penalty Discussion / U.S. Ranks 5th In Executions But Death Penalty Declining
I have found this article :
http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9628&Itemid=331
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
U.S. ranks 5th in executions but death penalty declining
Written by PETER JAMES SPIELMANN
Thursday, 05 April 2012
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The United States was the only Western democracy that executed prisoners last year, even as an increasing number of U.S. states are moving to abolish the death penalty, Amnesty International announced.
America's 43 executions in 2011 ranked it fifth in the world in capital punishment, the rights group said in its annual review of worldwide death penalty trends. U.S. executions were down from 46 a year earlier.
“If you look at the company we're in globally, it's not the company we want to be in: China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq,” Suzanne Nossell, executive director of Amnesty International USA, told The Associated Press.
Deeply Divided
The United States seems deeply divided on the issue.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry was cheered at a Republican presidential candidates' debate last September when he defended his signature on 234 execution warrants over more than 10 years as being the “ultimate justice.”
Just weeks later, young people rallied in person and online to protest the execution of Troy Davis in Georgia for the 1991 murder of a police officer. In the intervening years, key witnesses for the prosecution had recanted or changed their stories.
“I think the debate on the issue may be nearing a tipping point in this country,” Nossell said. “I think we're seeing momentum at the state level in the direction of waning support for the death penalty.”
Illinois banned the death penalty last year and Oregon adopted a moratorium on executions.
On the Defensive
Maryland and Connecticut are close to banning executions, Amnesty said. And more than 800,000 Californians signed petitions to put a referendum on the state ballot in November that would abolish the death penalty.
However, 34 U.S. states have the death penalty.
Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, which tracks U.S. trends, told the AP that last year 78 prisoners received death sentences, down from an average of more than 300 annually a few years ago. “Executions peaked in 1999 at 98,”he added. “By all measures, the death penalty is on the defensive.”
Dieter attributed much of the decline to the introduction of DNA testing, which has exposed some mistaken convictions. With stronger defense tactics and appeals processes getting longer, states also found it more and more expensive to pursue death penalty cases, he said.
No Executions
The United States was the only member of the G-8 group of developed nations to use the death penalty last year. Japan, which also retains capital punishment, recorded no executions for the first time in 19 years, Amnesty reported.
“Our government has made a very strong point of trying to reassert its position as a standard-bearer on human rights globally,” Nossell said. “When other countries look at the United States, the use of the death penalty really stands out a lot in the mind of Europeans and others around the world. We're in such incongruous company.”
Mexico strongly pro-tested the July execution in the U.S. of one of its citizens, Humberto Leal, for rape and murder on grounds that he had not been advised of his rights to receive legal advice and assistance from his consulate. The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations is supposed to guarantee the right of any citizen to consular help.
Leal was one of 51 Mexican men who have been sentenced to death in the United States after being denied consular assistance, Amnesty said. The International Court of Justice had ordered a full review of all these cases after Texas executed another Mexican man in 2008.
The U.S. federal stance on capital punishment was complicated by the Defense Department's announcement that it would seek the death penalty for six foreign nationals detained at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for trial by military commission. Amnesty contends that military commissions are discriminatory because they do not give foreign citizens the same right to appeal as U.S. courts.
Anne
http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9628&Itemid=331
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
U.S. ranks 5th in executions but death penalty declining
Written by PETER JAMES SPIELMANN
Thursday, 05 April 2012
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The United States was the only Western democracy that executed prisoners last year, even as an increasing number of U.S. states are moving to abolish the death penalty, Amnesty International announced.
America's 43 executions in 2011 ranked it fifth in the world in capital punishment, the rights group said in its annual review of worldwide death penalty trends. U.S. executions were down from 46 a year earlier.
“If you look at the company we're in globally, it's not the company we want to be in: China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq,” Suzanne Nossell, executive director of Amnesty International USA, told The Associated Press.
Deeply Divided
The United States seems deeply divided on the issue.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry was cheered at a Republican presidential candidates' debate last September when he defended his signature on 234 execution warrants over more than 10 years as being the “ultimate justice.”
Just weeks later, young people rallied in person and online to protest the execution of Troy Davis in Georgia for the 1991 murder of a police officer. In the intervening years, key witnesses for the prosecution had recanted or changed their stories.
“I think the debate on the issue may be nearing a tipping point in this country,” Nossell said. “I think we're seeing momentum at the state level in the direction of waning support for the death penalty.”
Illinois banned the death penalty last year and Oregon adopted a moratorium on executions.
On the Defensive
Maryland and Connecticut are close to banning executions, Amnesty said. And more than 800,000 Californians signed petitions to put a referendum on the state ballot in November that would abolish the death penalty.
However, 34 U.S. states have the death penalty.
Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, which tracks U.S. trends, told the AP that last year 78 prisoners received death sentences, down from an average of more than 300 annually a few years ago. “Executions peaked in 1999 at 98,”he added. “By all measures, the death penalty is on the defensive.”
Dieter attributed much of the decline to the introduction of DNA testing, which has exposed some mistaken convictions. With stronger defense tactics and appeals processes getting longer, states also found it more and more expensive to pursue death penalty cases, he said.
No Executions
The United States was the only member of the G-8 group of developed nations to use the death penalty last year. Japan, which also retains capital punishment, recorded no executions for the first time in 19 years, Amnesty reported.
“Our government has made a very strong point of trying to reassert its position as a standard-bearer on human rights globally,” Nossell said. “When other countries look at the United States, the use of the death penalty really stands out a lot in the mind of Europeans and others around the world. We're in such incongruous company.”
Mexico strongly pro-tested the July execution in the U.S. of one of its citizens, Humberto Leal, for rape and murder on grounds that he had not been advised of his rights to receive legal advice and assistance from his consulate. The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations is supposed to guarantee the right of any citizen to consular help.
Leal was one of 51 Mexican men who have been sentenced to death in the United States after being denied consular assistance, Amnesty said. The International Court of Justice had ordered a full review of all these cases after Texas executed another Mexican man in 2008.
The U.S. federal stance on capital punishment was complicated by the Defense Department's announcement that it would seek the death penalty for six foreign nationals detained at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for trial by military commission. Amnesty contends that military commissions are discriminatory because they do not give foreign citizens the same right to appeal as U.S. courts.
Anne
on: April 02, 2012, 11:00:43 AM 13 Off Topic / Off Topic - Anything / Arts Used To Focus On Death Penalty
I have found this article :
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/04/03/2003529404
Tue, Apr 03, 2012 - Page 2
Arts used to focus on death penalty
PONDER THIS:A harpist involved in one of the events said the use of photos and music meant people could approach the issue of capital punishment in a soft way
Staff writer, with CNA
A Japanese photographer and harpists from France and Taiwan are encouraging Taiwanese to reconsider their thoughts on issues related to the death penalty through a photography exhibition and a concert, organizers said yesterday.
The events began in Taipei yesterday with a two-day display of 16 photographs taken by US-based photographer Toshi Kazama, featuring pictures of death-row inmates in the US and Taiwan, execution sites, a prisoner’s last meal and execution devices, such as the electric chair.
The collaboration marks the first time that the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty has organized events incorporating music and photographs to raise public awareness on the issue, said Lin Hsin-yi (林欣怡), the executive director of the Taipei-based alliance.
Holding the events this month is significant because Taiwan has executed inmates in the spring of the previous two years, Lin said.
Taiwan ended a four-year moratorium on executions in 2010, executing four prisoners that year and another five in March last year, drawing criticism from the EU and human rights advocates.
Speaking at a news conference, Kazama said he wanted to encourage people to think about a wide range of aspects surrounding the practice of capital punishment.
“Most people just focus on whether it is right or wrong to impose the death penalty,” said the 54-year-old, who began taking photos of death-row inmates and execution sites in 1996.
“However, they don’t know the reality [surrounding the death penalty],” Kazama said, adding that the emotional impact on execution officials is often ignored.
By viewing the black-and-white photographs, Kazama said he hoped visitors to the exhibition could “see beyond just the image.”
French harpist Isabelle Perrin and her Taiwanese counterpart Shannon Chieh (解瑄) were scheduled to perform at the National Theater Concert Hall in Taipei last night, organizers said.
In a video shown at the news conference, Chieh said she hoped the performance with Perrin — who is from a country where the death penalty has been abolished — will offer people an opportunity to approach the issue in a “soft way.”
Echoing Chieh’s remarks was Fleur Willson, head of the British Trade and Cultural Office’s Political and Economic Section, who was also present at the news conference.
An arts performance is an easier way to get the message across to people, she said.
Kazama’s photographs will also go on display in Greater Kaohsiung from Thursday through April 11.
Anne
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/04/03/2003529404
Tue, Apr 03, 2012 - Page 2
Arts used to focus on death penalty
PONDER THIS:A harpist involved in one of the events said the use of photos and music meant people could approach the issue of capital punishment in a soft way
Staff writer, with CNA
A Japanese photographer and harpists from France and Taiwan are encouraging Taiwanese to reconsider their thoughts on issues related to the death penalty through a photography exhibition and a concert, organizers said yesterday.
The events began in Taipei yesterday with a two-day display of 16 photographs taken by US-based photographer Toshi Kazama, featuring pictures of death-row inmates in the US and Taiwan, execution sites, a prisoner’s last meal and execution devices, such as the electric chair.
The collaboration marks the first time that the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty has organized events incorporating music and photographs to raise public awareness on the issue, said Lin Hsin-yi (林欣怡), the executive director of the Taipei-based alliance.
Holding the events this month is significant because Taiwan has executed inmates in the spring of the previous two years, Lin said.
Taiwan ended a four-year moratorium on executions in 2010, executing four prisoners that year and another five in March last year, drawing criticism from the EU and human rights advocates.
Speaking at a news conference, Kazama said he wanted to encourage people to think about a wide range of aspects surrounding the practice of capital punishment.
“Most people just focus on whether it is right or wrong to impose the death penalty,” said the 54-year-old, who began taking photos of death-row inmates and execution sites in 1996.
“However, they don’t know the reality [surrounding the death penalty],” Kazama said, adding that the emotional impact on execution officials is often ignored.
By viewing the black-and-white photographs, Kazama said he hoped visitors to the exhibition could “see beyond just the image.”
French harpist Isabelle Perrin and her Taiwanese counterpart Shannon Chieh (解瑄) were scheduled to perform at the National Theater Concert Hall in Taipei last night, organizers said.
In a video shown at the news conference, Chieh said she hoped the performance with Perrin — who is from a country where the death penalty has been abolished — will offer people an opportunity to approach the issue in a “soft way.”
Echoing Chieh’s remarks was Fleur Willson, head of the British Trade and Cultural Office’s Political and Economic Section, who was also present at the news conference.
An arts performance is an easier way to get the message across to people, she said.
Kazama’s photographs will also go on display in Greater Kaohsiung from Thursday through April 11.
Anne
on: March 29, 2012, 11:05:15 AM 14 Across the Globe / World Death Penalty Discussion / Capital Punishment : Russians Want Return Of Death Penalty
http://rt.com/news/death-penalty-return-russia-787/
Capital punishment: Russians want return of death penalty
Published: 29 March, 2012, 21:59
Russia needs to lift the moratorium on death penalty, believe 62 per cent of the country's residents, the latest poll indicates.
According to results revealed by a major Russian polling center – the Public Opinion Foundation – respondents suggested using capital punishment for sexual offenses against teenagers (72%), murder (64%), terrorism (54%) , drug trafficking (28%) and treason (12%).
However, there were also those who suggested using the death penalty for espionage, desecration of religious sites, bribery, theft, looting and robbery.
Meanwhile, 21 per cent of those asked are convinced that Russia should keep following the moratorium, which was imposed in 1996. Another 5 per cent of Russians responded in support of full abolishment of death penalty in the country. The possibility of the death penalty as an exceptional measure of punishment is officially written into the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
On March 27, Amnesty International said in its annual review of the use of the death penalty worldwide that the number of executions carried out around the world jumped by 28 per cent last year. And that is largely due to liberal use of the death penalty in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the Human Rights group said.
However, China is the absolute leader – more people were executed there in 2011than in the rest of the world combined.
The United States ranked fifth in the world for its use of the death penalty – 43 executions in 2011.
According to polls conducted in fall 2011, shortly after the execution of Troy Davis, who was accused of killing a police officer in 1989, 60 per cent of Americans favor the death penalty for convicted murderers. And only 27 per cent oppose it. However, that percentage was said to be slightly down in comparison to previous results.
The European Union, on the contrary, holds a strong and principled position against the death penalty. Moreover, the abolition of a capital punishment is a pre-condition for entry into the Union. In October 2011, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton declared the EU's work on abolishing the death penalty worldwide a "personal priority."
The EU calls for all states where capital punishment is still used to restrict it progressively, and insists that it be carried out according to international minimum standards.
It also criticized the latest executions in Japan and Belarus.
Three men were executed by hanging in Japan on Thursday. The executions became the first since July 2010. Currently, Japan has 132 prisoners on death row. Capital punishment there is usually ordered for multiple murders.
In response to that, France said that executions “were even more regrettable because they occurred after Japan had not applied the death penalty for more than a year and a half.”
Earlier, in mid-March, the EU also reacted with severe criticism to Belarus, where two men convicted of the April 2011 Minsk subway bombing were put to death. Belarus is the only European country which does not have a moratorium on the death penalty.
Anne
Capital punishment: Russians want return of death penalty
Published: 29 March, 2012, 21:59
Russia needs to lift the moratorium on death penalty, believe 62 per cent of the country's residents, the latest poll indicates.
According to results revealed by a major Russian polling center – the Public Opinion Foundation – respondents suggested using capital punishment for sexual offenses against teenagers (72%), murder (64%), terrorism (54%) , drug trafficking (28%) and treason (12%).
However, there were also those who suggested using the death penalty for espionage, desecration of religious sites, bribery, theft, looting and robbery.
Meanwhile, 21 per cent of those asked are convinced that Russia should keep following the moratorium, which was imposed in 1996. Another 5 per cent of Russians responded in support of full abolishment of death penalty in the country. The possibility of the death penalty as an exceptional measure of punishment is officially written into the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
On March 27, Amnesty International said in its annual review of the use of the death penalty worldwide that the number of executions carried out around the world jumped by 28 per cent last year. And that is largely due to liberal use of the death penalty in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the Human Rights group said.
However, China is the absolute leader – more people were executed there in 2011than in the rest of the world combined.
The United States ranked fifth in the world for its use of the death penalty – 43 executions in 2011.
According to polls conducted in fall 2011, shortly after the execution of Troy Davis, who was accused of killing a police officer in 1989, 60 per cent of Americans favor the death penalty for convicted murderers. And only 27 per cent oppose it. However, that percentage was said to be slightly down in comparison to previous results.
The European Union, on the contrary, holds a strong and principled position against the death penalty. Moreover, the abolition of a capital punishment is a pre-condition for entry into the Union. In October 2011, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton declared the EU's work on abolishing the death penalty worldwide a "personal priority."
The EU calls for all states where capital punishment is still used to restrict it progressively, and insists that it be carried out according to international minimum standards.
It also criticized the latest executions in Japan and Belarus.
Three men were executed by hanging in Japan on Thursday. The executions became the first since July 2010. Currently, Japan has 132 prisoners on death row. Capital punishment there is usually ordered for multiple murders.
In response to that, France said that executions “were even more regrettable because they occurred after Japan had not applied the death penalty for more than a year and a half.”
Earlier, in mid-March, the EU also reacted with severe criticism to Belarus, where two men convicted of the April 2011 Minsk subway bombing were put to death. Belarus is the only European country which does not have a moratorium on the death penalty.
Anne
on: March 29, 2012, 11:03:03 AM 15 General Crime / U.S. Crime Related News / Prosecutors Will Seek The Death Penalty Against Michael Nice, 2011 Child Murder
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/scranton-man-to-face-death-penalty-for-alleged-murder-of-infant-son-1.1292485#axzz1qWuqsFos
Scranton man to face death penalty for alleged murder of infant son
Published: March 29, 2012
By Denis J. O'Malley
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against the West Scranton man accused of murdering his 2-month-old son in August, the man was informed Thursday at his arraignment.
Michael Nice, 24, pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him, which include first-degree murder, during the arraignment before Lackawanna County Judge Terrence R. Nealon.
Mr. Nice is accused of throwing his 2-month-old son, Leon, in the air, grabbing him by his neck and ultimately shaking him to death on Aug. 9 when the infant would not stop crying, police said at the time.
An autopsy performed the following day found the infant had died of shaking and blunt force trauma, according to Times-Tribune archives, and Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland ruled the case a homicide.
In interviews with police, Mr. Nice admitted he had grown frustrated with Leon and his other young son, Deamon, because they would not stop crying, police said.
Mr. Nice picked up Leon and began tossing him in the air for a few minutes then "he lost it" and started to shake the infant, according to the complaint.
When asked by police to illustrate the way he shook the infant, Mr. Nice began pushing and pulling his fists back and forth from his chest "in a fast motion" while grinding his teeth, Scranton police Detectives Capt. Al Leoncini said at the time.
Upon his arrest, Mr. Nice told police that, after the crying child had calmed down, he fed him a bottle and put him to bed at 4:25 p.m., according to a criminal complaint.
Twenty minutes later, Mr. Nice checked on Leon and found him pale, not breathing and without a pulse. Mr. Nice told police that he began performing CPR on the infant at that point, according to the complaint.
The child's condition was not reported for another 30 minutes, though, when the child's mother, Elizabeth Crandall, arrived at their 602 N. Rebecca Ave. home at 5:15 p.m. and called 911, police said at the time.
In addition to first-degree murder, Mr. Nice faces charges of third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.
Earlier this month, the Lackawanna County District Attorney's office filed a notice of aggravating circumstances in the case citing the victim's age as cause to seek the death penalty against Mr. Nice - an intention Mr. Nice was formally notified of by Judge Nealon during Thursday morning's proceedings.
Judge Nealon scheduled jury selection to begin on Oct. 9 with opening statements in the trial expected to begin on Oct. 22.
Mr. Nice remains in custody at the Lackawanna County Prison without bail.
Photo : The murderer Michael Nice
Anne
Scranton man to face death penalty for alleged murder of infant son
Published: March 29, 2012
By Denis J. O'Malley
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against the West Scranton man accused of murdering his 2-month-old son in August, the man was informed Thursday at his arraignment.
Michael Nice, 24, pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him, which include first-degree murder, during the arraignment before Lackawanna County Judge Terrence R. Nealon.
Mr. Nice is accused of throwing his 2-month-old son, Leon, in the air, grabbing him by his neck and ultimately shaking him to death on Aug. 9 when the infant would not stop crying, police said at the time.
An autopsy performed the following day found the infant had died of shaking and blunt force trauma, according to Times-Tribune archives, and Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland ruled the case a homicide.
In interviews with police, Mr. Nice admitted he had grown frustrated with Leon and his other young son, Deamon, because they would not stop crying, police said.
Mr. Nice picked up Leon and began tossing him in the air for a few minutes then "he lost it" and started to shake the infant, according to the complaint.
When asked by police to illustrate the way he shook the infant, Mr. Nice began pushing and pulling his fists back and forth from his chest "in a fast motion" while grinding his teeth, Scranton police Detectives Capt. Al Leoncini said at the time.
Upon his arrest, Mr. Nice told police that, after the crying child had calmed down, he fed him a bottle and put him to bed at 4:25 p.m., according to a criminal complaint.
Twenty minutes later, Mr. Nice checked on Leon and found him pale, not breathing and without a pulse. Mr. Nice told police that he began performing CPR on the infant at that point, according to the complaint.
The child's condition was not reported for another 30 minutes, though, when the child's mother, Elizabeth Crandall, arrived at their 602 N. Rebecca Ave. home at 5:15 p.m. and called 911, police said at the time.
In addition to first-degree murder, Mr. Nice faces charges of third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.
Earlier this month, the Lackawanna County District Attorney's office filed a notice of aggravating circumstances in the case citing the victim's age as cause to seek the death penalty against Mr. Nice - an intention Mr. Nice was formally notified of by Judge Nealon during Thursday morning's proceedings.
Judge Nealon scheduled jury selection to begin on Oct. 9 with opening statements in the trial expected to begin on Oct. 22.
Mr. Nice remains in custody at the Lackawanna County Prison without bail.
Photo : The murderer Michael Nice
Anne
| Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 46 |