Cost, Deception & the Death Penalty: The Colorado Experience

Cost, Deception & the Death Penalty: The Colorado Experience
Worldwide NEWS RELEASE May 8, 2009
contact: Dudley Sharp, 713-622-5491
Cost, Deception & the Death Penalty: The Colorado Experience
Death penalty opponents fashioned this argument: End the death penalty, they said, and we can use the $380,000/year(1), the alleged net cost excess of the death penalty, to fund cold case investigations, for over 1400 Colorado unsolved murders.
From the beginning, this was, only, another anti death penalty effort. Plea bargains to a life sentence, only possible because of the presence of the death penalty, likely, would save more money (1).
By the end of the Colorado Legislative session, even for the most naive, all doubt was removed.

A reply – Judge Posner’s comment, polling and the death penalty

the fact that almost two-thirds of the U.S. population supports the death penalty is some, albeit weak (because it does not measure intensity of preference), evidence bearing on the comparison.” Judge Posner (“The Economics of Capital Punishment–Posner”, Becker-Posner Blog, Decemer 18, 2005)
Look closer.
When polls correctly ask about capital murders, death penalty support is around 80%.

Cost Savings: The Death Penalty

Reasonable and responsible protocols, currently in use, will produce a death penalty which costs no more, or will cost less, than Life Without Parole (LWOP).
Death penalty states could better implement justice, as given by jurors, and save taxpayers money, currently wasted by many irresponsible state systems.
1) Obvious solution, Improve the system
Virginia executes in 5-7 years. 65% of those sentenced to death have been executed. Only 15% of their death penalty cases are overturned. The national averages are 11 years, 14% and 36%, respectively.
With the high costs of long term imprisonment, a true life sentence will be more expensive than such a death penalty protocol.
2) Current cost study problems
a) Geriatric care: Most cost studies exclude geriatric care, recently found to be $60,000-$90,000/inmate/yr., a significant omission from life sentence costs. Prisoners are often found to be geriatric at relatively young ages, 50-55, because of lifestyle.

Sister Helen Prejean & the death penalty: A Critical Review

” . . .makes you realize the Dead Man Walking truly belongs on the shelf in the library in the Fiction category.” “Being devout Catholics, ‘the norm’ would be to look to the church for support and healing. Again, this need for spiritual stability was stolen by Sister Prejean.” The Bourques, Victim Survivors, Dead Family Walking
“On November 5, 1977, the Bourque’s teenage daughter, Loretta, was found murdered in a trash pile near the city of New Iberia, Louisiana lying side by side near her boyfriend–with three well-placed bullet holes behind each head. ”

Why did Gov. Richardson repeal the death penalty? His legacy.

 


Why did Gov. Richardson repeal the death penalty? His legacy.
Dudley Sharp, contact info below
 

“(Richardson) admitted his legacy factored into his calculus.”(1) The evidence is that is was “the” factor.

 

“(Richardson) acknowledged that he hoped his administration would be remembered for ‘doing the right thing, making decisions on matters of conscience.’ ” (1)

 

How did he do the right thing in a matter of conscience?

 

In a wealth of understatement, Gov. Richardson admits that some of the anti death penalty arguments he used may not be true: “I am not totally, …

Catholic death penalty support, modern scholars

 

To: Governor Richardson, staff and cabinet and
        Corrections Department and Police Agencies and media throughout New Mexico

 

From: Dudley Sharp, contact info, below

 

Dear Honorable Governor Richardson:

 

There are thoughtful writings on both sides of this debate, but the pro death penalty side is stronger.

 

Even today, a Catholic in good standing can call for more executions, if their prudential judgements finds for that.


1)  Avery Cardinal Dulles:

 

This recently deceased US Cardinal, in one of his final interviews, states that he thought the Church may return to a “more traditional …

Rebuttal of death penalty comments by Senator Michael Sanchez, a defense attorney and Melissa Hill, Legislative Chair, NM Criminal Defense Lawyers Association


To: New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, State Legislature and

          media throughout New Mexico

 

RE:   Rebuttal of death penalty comments by


           1)  Senator Michael Sanchez, a defense attorney  and

           2)  Melissa Hill, Legislative Chair, NM Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

 


From: Dudley Sharp, contact info below

 


1)  Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, a criminal defense attorney, said

 

“(that) he didn’t agree with supporters of the death penalty that ‘If you get it right 90 percent of the time, that’s good enough. That is not good enough.’  ” (1)

Rebuttal:  I have …

the innocence deception of death penalty opponents New Mexico

To: New Mexico – Governor Bill Richardson , the Legislature, prosecutors and                                           media throughout the  state   Re:  fact checking issues, on innocence and the death penalty.  (See extensive fact checking material, below)   From: Dudley Sharp, contact info below

Catholic Scholars: Support for the Death Penalty New Mexico

  To: New Mexico – Governor Bill Richardson , the Legislature, prosecutors and                                           media throughout the  state   From: Dudley Sharp, contact info below    Catholic Scholars: Support for the Death Penalty Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters, contact info below