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Courage the Cowardly Dog Courage the Cowardly Dog is offline
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Old Jan 15th, 2007, 09:19 PM        Texas considers death penalty for repeat child rapists
My opinion? Texas is already heavy handed with the death penalty but i like the idea. Either that or longer sentences or perhaps even life in a mental institution for the criminally insane.

The argument against is it's greater incentive to kill the victim for lack of a witness. As if lowering the sentence would prevent that? Or giving the rapist a puppy and a slap on the wrist would stop him from killing the witness?

Case by case basis for sure but these people are criminally insane. Just as I like Asians, Socrates liked men, and Tom Cruise likes asian men these men are attracted to children and don't have the self control to abstain. They MUST be locked up as long as we can. DO you release a rabid dog cause it's "served it's time" you need to incarcerate for life, psychologicly rehabilitate after serving their time, or put him down. IMO.

What's your opinion? Oh and here is the article.



Texas lawmakers are talking tough about cracking down on sexual predators who prey on children. Some propose the death penalty for repeat offenders, potentially creating hundreds more death row inmates in a state that already executes more than any other.

Other ideas include mandatory long sentences for first-time offenders or eliminating probation.

But opposition is flaring from unexpected sources: prosecutors and victim advocates.

They fear some of the proposals would make it harder to get convictions and, perhaps, put children in even more danger by giving molesters incentive to kill the only potential witness to their crimes.

And there's the question of whether the death penalty in sex offenses is even constitutional.

``We support the intent,'' said Torie Camp of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault. ``We're concerned about the unintended consequences.''

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a Republican who won a second four-year term, has led the charge for tougher penalties for child molesters, calling for a 25-year minimum sentence after the first conviction when a victim is less than 14 and the death penalty option for repeat offenders.

``The idea is to prevent these kinds of crimes,'' said Dewhurst spokesman Rich Parsons. ``It sends a clear signal and maybe these monsters will think twice before committing a crime.''

Gov. Rick Perry, also a Republican, said Texas is a ``tough on crime'' state and he's open to tougher penalties, including the death penalty.

A recent case in West Texas will likely fan the debate.

Dwayne Dale Billings, 21, a registered sex offender, was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a 9-year-old autistic girl who went missing in Odessa earlier this month. She was found alive in his home.

Dozens of sex offender bills have already been filed for the 140-day legislative session that began Jan. 9.

Proponents want Texas to join states cracking down with tough ``Jessica's Laws'', named after a girl who was abducted and killed in Florida, and become one of a handful that could put some repeat offenders to death.

Sen. John Whitmire, chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, said Texas is already tough on sex offenders.

Most already serve their entire sentence without parole and are subject to civil commitment if experts deem them dangerous upon release.

``We are tough (on sex offenders.) Tougher than hell. We lead the nation in tough.'' Whitmire said. ``But you've got to be careful.''

Crime victim advocates worry the death penalty may lead to more murder victims. Child sex cases often have no witness other than the victim.

``If the punishment for raping a child and raping and killing are exactly the same,'' Camp said, ``the rapist may kill so that witness is no longer there.''

In family cases, a child molested by a parent or grandparent may be pressured not to testify if the perpetrator faces a long prison sentence or the death penalty, Camp said.

The death penalty raises a key constitutional issue.

In 1977, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a death sentence for a Georgia man convicted of raping a woman, calling it an ``excessive penalty for the rapist, who as such, does not take human life.''

Even so, Florida, Montana, Louisiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina have already passed new death penalty laws for sex offenses against children, said Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Resource Center in Washington, D.C.

``It is a trend. It's a strong, symbolic gesture'' Dieter said. ``But I don't see it being used very much.''

No one has been executed under the laws, but one Louisiana inmate is on death row for the rape of an 8-year-old girl. That case is still being reviewed by state and federal appeals courts, Dieter said.

Dieter and legal experts say it is unclear whether the Supreme Court would make a distinction between an adult or child victim when considering the death penalty in a sex case.

Parsons said Dewhurst's office believes a state law could be tailored specifically to deal with child victims and survive court challenges.

Many prosecutors are wary of tinkering with the state's death penalty system.

``Change can bring unintended consequences which may not look like anything until some smart lawyer picks up on it,'' said Shannon Edmonds, spokesman for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association.

``Change a comma and it's going to be the basis for an appeal,'' Edmonds said. ``All it takes is one little problem to grind the whole system to a halt.''

Whitmire said if the death penalty proposals being considered today were already in the law, 2,900 current prison inmates could be facing the death sentence. Texas already has nearly 400 inmates on death row.

``We'd have to build a lot of execution chambers,'' Whitmire said.

Prosecutors and victims groups instead want lawmakers to expand limits on witness testimony in sex cases and make it easier to prosecute ongoing abuse.

The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault also wants to lengthen the statute of limitations, which currently requires an indictment before the victim's 28th birthday, Camp said.

Even a proposed 2,000-foot safe zone to keep convicted offenders from living close to schools, parks and other public areas is running into opposition.

Critics note that other states are having second thoughts after passing similar measures.

In Iowa, prosecutors issued a six-page statement last month saying that state's buffer zone has created several problems.

It prevents some mentally disabled offenders from living with family who may watch over them. Others are failing to register with authorities or moving to rural areas where there are fewer police officers.

Sen. Bob Deuell, a Republican from Greenville, has filed a bill requiring a long minimum sentence and the death penalty option in repeat cases.

``I think it should be an option,'' Deuell said. ``I want it to be preventative. (But) I also have an open mind to listen.''

Whitmire said his committee will conduct lengthy hearings, but he is likely to lean toward the judgment of prosecutors and victims' groups.

``At the end of the day, I think they have tremendous say and influence,'' Whitmire said. The (prosecutors) have to take what we pass and apply it in court and crime victims have to know we have their interests at stake.''
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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NightOfTheLivingDon NightOfTheLivingDon is offline
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Old Jan 16th, 2007, 07:06 PM       
Quote:
``If the punishment for raping a child and raping and killing are exactly the same,'' Camp said, ``the rapist may kill so that witness is no longer there.''
That's probably the strongest arguement in the article. This is one of those huge ethical/moral debacles that are so difficult that real change will most likely not be seen in the near future.
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Old Jan 16th, 2007, 07:20 PM       
As much as I thumbs UP executing child rapists, I have to point out that this:

``The idea is to prevent these kinds of crimes,'' said Dewhurst spokesman Rich Parsons. ``It sends a clear signal and maybe these monsters will think twice before committing a crime.''

Is bullshit. They won't think twice. However, it will prevent the creep from hurting any more kids.
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Old Jan 17th, 2007, 11:05 AM       
The documentary about a young Canadian man that buy's a lap top and GPS hunting down and killing "convicted" molesters is very interesting. One of the men was a guy that had had sex with a minor once when he was slightly above the age and had no other convictions.
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Old Jan 17th, 2007, 12:22 PM       
jesus... didn't he do any research on his victims first? it could've been noble if he wasn't a stupid fuck about it.
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FartinMowler FartinMowler is offline
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Old Jan 17th, 2007, 12:34 PM       
He was eventually surrounded by police on a bus full of people and commited suicide. Some of the people on the bus considered him noble in the way he made sure the gun aimed out the window so not to injure anyone.
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