Saudi-US Relations

[superwalrus]

The US has been steadliy increasing the number and types of offenses that warrant the death penalty.

Embar... you sir, are a moron

You do realize that originally, ANY felony had a death sentence to it right? ANY felony? now only one felony has the death sentence attached to it. So what types of offenses are we adding to the list? Murdering someone is the only way... christ.

Walrus

[Eidolon Faer]

Actually, I believe Treason is still a Capital Crime, innit in the Constitution?

Not even an Amendment, it's in the main body.

[Ddrak]

Yep, Eidolon, it is.

Dd

[Eidolon Faer]

So...if by some turn of events, a fifteen-year-old should be convicted of treason, the death penalty would still be on the table. The Constitution is still supposed to trump the Supremes, last I checked...

[Trollbait]

So...if by some turn of events, a fifteen-year-old should be convicted of treason, the death penalty would still be on the table. The Constitution is still supposed to trump the Supremes, last I checked...

I am finding it difficult to imagine a scenario in which a 15 year old would be convicted of treason as defined by federal law.

[SicTimMitchell]

I said Somalia because the U.S. and Somalia are the only countries who refused to sign the U.N.'s Convention on the Rights of the Child, which forbids capital punishment for children.

And before you say "But the USSC ruled..." remember that they also banned capital punishment outright for over a decade, and now we have it at the federal level again.

[SicTimMitchell]

Of course, I'm leaving out the part where international law doesn't mean a whole lot to us at the moment anyway.

Which is part of the problem with us being able to take the human rights moral high ground. Which fucking SUCKS for my country, okay?

Saying "Well, we're not as bad as China" is NOT good enough for the United States of America.

[Relbeek Einre]

A little note on Treason in the Constitution:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

The Constitution says that Treason cannot be punished by punishing the traitor's family, or by taking away from the traitor's estate after he dies. It is mute as to whether the punishment must be death. However, it's reasonable that the authors of the Constitution would have expected the punishment to be death in most cases.

The Constitution is over at thomas.loc.gov - and you people should try reading it sometime. The death penalty is mentioned nowhere therein.

SicTim: That's an excellent point, and it is really creepy.

[Embar Angylwrath]

The US has been steadliy increasing the number and types of offenses that warrant the death penalty.

Embar... you sir, are a moron

You do realize that originally, ANY felony had a death sentence to it right? ANY felony? now only one felony has the death sentence attached to it. So what types of offenses are we adding to the list? Murdering someone is the only way... christ.

Walrus

On the Federal level, here are the non-lethal crimes whcuh have the death penalty attached.

Espionage (18 U.S.C. 794)

Treason. (18 U.S.C. 2381)

Trafficking in large quantities of drugs (18 U.S.C. 3591(b))

Attempting, authorizing or advising the killing of any officer, juror,or witness in cases involving a Continuing Criminal Enterprise, regardless of whether such killing actually occurs. (18 U.S.C. 3591(b)(2))

Also, there is a difference between "murder" which is the intentional taking of a life, and a crime that didn't intend to take a life, but resulted in a death. Here's a list of those crimes, on the federal level, whcih have the death penalty attached to them.

Destruction of aircraft, motor vehicles, or related facilities resulting in death. (18 U.S.C. 32-34)

Civil rights offenses resulting in death. (18 U.S.C. 241, 242, 245, 247)

Death resulting from offenses involving transportation of explosives, destruction of government property, or destruction of property related to foreign or interstate commerce. (18 U.S.C. 844(d), (f), (i))

Mailing of injurious articles with intent to kill or resulting in death. (18 U.S.C. 1716)

Willful wrecking of a train resulting in death. (18 U.S.C. 1992)

Bank-robbery-related murder or kidnaping. (18 U.S.C. 2113)

Death resulting from aircraft hijacking. (49 U.S.C. 1472-1473)

So yeah, I'd say the Feds have been expanding the offenses that trigger the death penalty. Nice try though, chucklehead.

[SicTimMitchell]

Kidnapping has been a capital offense since the Lindbergh baby.

I thought it wasn't anymore, so I neglected to bring it up. (Some of you geeks may remember an excellent E.C. comic story from the "Vault of Horror" by Jack Davis about a bunch of kids learning about this.)

In other news, I didn't realize that the death penalty for drug dealers thing made it to law. In the words of the Immortal Sailor, "I yam disgustipated!"