Build Date: Tue Aug 11 06:50:26 2026 UTC
Beaujolais, baby!
-- Ratsnatcher
Score This One As a Win
2000-11-07 00:13:35
Finally, a verdict that makes sense. The 9th Circuit Court ruled today that a prosecutor can't tell a jury that god wants the defendant dead in a death penalty case.
The court said that it was improper for the prosecutor to claim that ``destroying Sandoval's mortal body might be the only way to save Sandoval's eternal soul.'' And that by sending him to death row the jury would be giving him a "wake-up call". Yeah, wake-up, so we can kill you.
While I applaud the judges ruling, I'm appalled that a California prosecutor even attempted this argument, that the jury bought it and the judge allowed it. I'm further appalled that the California Supreme didn't not over turn it and that the case went to the Federal level to be overturned.
I don't even know where to begin critiquing this. Assuming that the prosecutor believes in the Bible, (and you have to, or there isn't make point in giving the defendant a "wake-up call") I'm pretty sure that god said "Thou shall not kill" somewhere. I don't know, that seems pretty unambiguous to me. I think somewhere in there is "...avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Which kinda takes the whole wake-up call argument pretty mute.
As far as I'm concerned, we don't need this type of Texan prosecution here in California. I DEMAND that the California State Bar to disbar this idiot and ship him to Deep South, where I hear this sort of judicial argument is very popular with the natives. I've also got a bone or two to pick with the California Supreme Court, but that will have to wait for some other time.
You can read the court's opinion here.
For a Yahoo summary,
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