Americans Sour on Death Penalty

choi

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(1) John Schwartz, Death Sentences Dropped, but Executions Rose in ’09. New
York Times, Dec. 18, 2009.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/us/18death.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=death%20%20sentences%20schwartz&st=cse

My comment: Death sentences are handed down less often in US, because "
juries continue to grow more wary of capital punishment." However, execution
rose a bit this year compared to the last, as US Supreme Court announced in
2007 that it would decide lethal injection constituted cruel and unusual
punishment, thus in violation of the Eighth Amendment to the federal
constitution. (The Court decided in 2008 there was no violation. Execution
went ahead afterwards. Still execution in 2008 was fewer than other years.)

(2) Mitch Stacy, Fla. man exonerated after 35 years behind bars. Associated
Press, Dec. 17,2009.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091217/ap_on_re_us/us_old_rape_dna
(James Bain of Florida)

(3) Sarah Karush, DNA testing clears man who served 28 years. Associated
Press, Dec. 15, 2009.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091215/ap_on_re_us/us_dc_wrong_man_convicted_6
(Donald Eugene Gates of Arizona)


----------------Separately
浙江80后女富豪因诈骗被判死刑. VOA Chinese, Dec. 19, 2009.
http://www1.voanews.com/chinese/news/china/young-chinese-20091219-79712257.html

My comment: Mr. Bernie Madoff defrauded for decades, causing loss which was
first estimated $65 billion but in fact a bit less than $20 billion (because
the initial figure included fabricated gains). He received a sentence of
150 years.

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