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Too Little, Too Late

So, Scott Peterson is found guilty. Now the jury returns to recommend the death penalty. Here’s my problem with the defense appeal and plea.

“…Geragos begged jurors to spare his client, saying a life sentence would mean that Peterson would not stand a chance of getting out of prison.

“He will stay in that cell every single day until he dies,” Geragos said. “There does not need to be any more death in this case.”

No more death, except to Caliornia pocketbooks to feed and protect the bastard!

Per the third quarter CDC stats:

-Number of inmates in California prisons with life without parole: 30,392
-Cost of a single excecution in the State of California: cost of housing the inmate plus minimal cost for the actual lethal injection excecution.
-Cost of keeping an inmate alive for the usual 20 years he waits on death row: $618,580, minimum.

Putting it on the California taxpayers’ tab? Priceless. Those starving kids didn’t need to eat anyway, as long as Scott Peterson stays in prison for life, right? Maybe instead of full cable TV privilages, they should limit him to QVC and HSN.

Update: Using the lame-ass defense attorney as an appeal loophole. Way to go, Geragos.

  1. Melissa says:

    I can’t remember a single high-profile case that was due to “block justice” in the cells: this may be a factor in suicide attempts though…

    I belive the mentality is that once they are convicted and placed in a prison with no parole option, no one one the outside really cares. Which seems like hypocrisy to me: why is it ok to let someone kill themselves or to let that person be killed by inmates, but not ok to do an official excecution? As Stan suggests, the cost to protect an imate from other inmates and him/herself is a big part of staff duties.

    I don’t think that killing again is a determination factor of letting him out. I mean, who’s going to marry the guy now? Amber Frey? I could see, maybe, a prostitute killing spree, but I doubt wife/baby murderers have the relapse urges of convicted sex offenders

    As to the defense: they really didn’t have much to work with, Meghann is right, and they did the best they could. Still, check out the recent developments in the post. Geragos’ peformance stands a good chance of being grounds for a future appeal. Amber Frey’s attorney, Gloria Allread… she’s a force to be reckoned with.

  2. Stan says:

    I think it’s slightly disingenious to make an economic arguement one way or the other for the death penalty. High profile cases such as this cost an awful lot more to keep safe in prison – but the associated legal costs are also higher. I don’t think it should be the issue at hand.

    Although you have to admint, the rates of recidivism are appealingly low for the death penalty.

    Anyone got any stats for how many multiple murderers / high profile cases commit suicide? I can’t remember a single high-profile case that was due to “block justice” in the cells: this may be a factor in suicide attempts though…

  3. Meghann says:

    Actually, I thought Peterson’s defense was pretty good. Though it was stupid not to craft a death penalty defense, I don’t really see how they could have done any better than with Peterson’s own mother. Weepy/ill mothers aren’t exactly unheard of in the death penalty defense.

  4. Melissa says:

    Sure, he can live and suffer. However, state funds do come from somewhere, Tim. Why throw good money after bad? He has already had a defense team that did a so-so job, eventually turning to weepy/ill parents to gain sympathy from jurors. This I do know: I agree with Jan that Scott wouldn’t last a day in the prison system. Unfortunately, he’ll probably try the bedsheet/underwear trick, but he deserves the Bubba scenario. One, he’s a wimp of the worst kind. Two, he’s been convicted of both baby and wife murder… not something bad-ass the prison yard playmates will respect. I doubt he’ll last even 5 years.

    So, Tim, oh econ guru: At what capacity point does the “pay for the lifers” system turn over to needing funding reform?

  5. Jan says:

    Scott, meet Bubba, the serial sodomizer of 96 barnyard animals. Bubba, meet Scott.

    20 years of that and he’ll be begging for death.

  6. Timothy says:

    Except for immigrants, right Ruff? 🙂

  7. Olly says:

    Yes. Death penalty bad.

  8. Timothy says:

    While I can certainly understand the sentiment, the reality is that Peterson’s life on deathrow will be financed by the state, cost a ton in court costs from appeals, and finally be a very expensive execution (provided the sentence isn’t commuted by some 9th circuit judge eventually). The reality is that it tends to be cheaper to keep folks in prison for life than to execute them.

    I’ll admit to being against the death penalty on philosophical (not moral, mind you) grounds, but the economics certainly don’t make it any more appealing.

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