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Death Penalty in the US

Mr. QuarkMr. Quark __BANNED USERS regular
edited May 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
Don't worry, this isn't a thread about whether something I did could get me executed. Moslty cause I don't live in America.

But anyway, I'm just starting work on this story I've been wanting to write for a while now but never got round to it, and I need to know two things.

Are there any US states that still carry the death penalty for murder? Specifically does Arizona still do it?

And if not then what was the most recent year that any state had the death penalty for murder?

The accumulated filth of all their hackin’ and wackin’ will foam up about their waists, and when all the ghouls and wastlanders of Megaton look up and shout “save us!” I’ll look down and whisper…

…Tunnel Snakes Rule
Mr. Quark on

Posts

  • JoeUserJoeUser Forum Santa Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Mr. Quark wrote: »
    Don't worry, this isn't a thread about whether something I did could get me executed. Moslty cause I don't live in America.

    But anyway, I'm just starting work on this story I've been wanting to write for a while now but never got round to it, and I need to know two things.

    Are there any US states that still carry the death penalty for murder? Specifically does Arizona still do it?

    And if not then what was the most recent year that any state had the death penalty for murder?

    Most states still carry the death penalty for first degree murder, including Arizona.

    Here's a site to look up stuff state by state

    JoeUser on
  • BasketballsBasketballs Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    One thing that you will probably need to remember when writing your story is that it takes a long time till someone gets executed. Its almost always a years long process because of appeals. Even then if the governor does not approve of the death penalty he will not give the order for the execution.

    Basketballs on
  • ScrubletScrublet Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Basketballs wrote: »
    One thing that you will probably need to remember when writing your story is that it takes a long time till someone gets executed. Its almost always a years long process because of appeals. Even then if the governor does not approve of the death penalty he will not give the order for the execution.

    So, make sure if you find a state has the death penalty, look up when the last time they executed someone was, and if it was last year how many they executed in that year.

    Scrublet on
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  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Basketballs wrote: »
    One thing that you will probably need to remember when writing your story is that it takes a long time till someone gets executed. Its almost always a years long process because of appeals. Even then if the governor does not approve of the death penalty he will not give the order for the execution.
    The bolded part actually depends on the state's laws. The governor of Texas for example generally doesn't have this power unless they've found/are given evidence to allow them to post pone it.

    Quid on
  • TL DRTL DR Not at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Yeah, the death penalty in the US is a funny thing. We had a moratorium on it for a bit, then brought it back because "Vote for me, I'm tough on crime!" Of course the fact that it is more expensive than life imprisonment and does not work as a deterrent seems lost on the voting public, but that is neither here nor there.

    TL DR on
  • tech_huntertech_hunter More SeattleRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    How exactly do you figure its cheaper keeping someone alive for 40 to 60 years than killing them after about 15. That person is not needing to be fed,clothed,provided medical care,educational resources,social resources among probably many other things. So I would figure a dead prisoner is cheaper than a live one.

    tech_hunter on
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  • KatholicKatholic Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    tech_hunter wrote: »
    How exactly do you figure its cheaper keeping someone alive for 40 to 60 years than killing them after about 15. That person is not needing to be fed,clothed,provided medical care,educational resources,social resources among probably many other things. So I would figure a dead prisoner is cheaper than a live one.

    Appeal process is really expensive compared to the shitty food and clothes we provide the prisoners(who often earn money doing work).

    Katholic on
  • TL DRTL DR Not at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    tech_hunter wrote: »
    How exactly do you figure its cheaper keeping someone alive for 40 to 60 years than killing them after about 15. That person is not needing to be fed,clothed,provided medical care,educational resources,social resources among probably many other things. So I would figure a dead prisoner is cheaper than a live one.
    Capital cases are expensive because the trials tend to take longer, they typically require more lawyers and more costly expert witnesses, and they are far more likely to lead to multiple appeals.

    In New Mexico, lawmakers who support the repeal bill have pointed out that despite the added expense, most defendants end up with life sentences anyway.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/us/25death.html

    TL DR on
  • Mr. QuarkMr. Quark __BANNED USERS regular
    edited May 2009
    Okay, what if I just tell you what I was gonna have happen that I needed to know about the death penalty for? Then you can tell me if it's at all logical and ever could happen.

    What I was gonna have happen is that the main character catches his boyfriend sleeping with some other guy, so he goes out, gets drunk then while he's totally pissed out of his brains he goes back and murders his boyfriend, then is convinced by his best friend to go on the run to avoid the inevitable death sentence

    Mr. Quark on
    The accumulated filth of all their hackin’ and wackin’ will foam up about their waists, and when all the ghouls and wastlanders of Megaton look up and shout “save us!” I’ll look down and whisper…

    …Tunnel Snakes Rule
  • rockmonkeyrockmonkey Little RockRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    That would probably be seen as a crime of passion and I doubt the death penalty would be sought.

    rockmonkey on
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  • Gabriel_PittGabriel_Pitt (effective against Russian warships) Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Well, if the whole thing is about his friend giving him bad advice, then it doesn't matter whether the state has the death sentence or not, the friend just has to convince the guy that it does and his best bet is to run.

    Gabriel_Pitt on
  • oldsakoldsak Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Eh, it's probably not a crime of passion because he left and went back. In any case, going on the run to avoid the inevitable death sentence seems unlikely, as the death sentence is not inevitable. I feel like it would make more sense that he run for fear of being caught and facing punishment in general as opposed to fear specifically of the death penalty.

    oldsak on
  • Mr. QuarkMr. Quark __BANNED USERS regular
    edited May 2009
    oldsak wrote: »
    Eh, it's probably not a crime of passion because he left and went back. In any case, going on the run to avoid the inevitable death sentence seems unlikely, as the death sentence is not inevitable. I feel like it would make more sense that he run for fear of being caught and facing punishment in general as opposed to fear specifically of the death penalty.
    Okay fair enough. So I'll have him running away from the fear of being caught. Now I just need a logical reason for his mate to stick with him the whole time

    Mr. Quark on
    The accumulated filth of all their hackin’ and wackin’ will foam up about their waists, and when all the ghouls and wastlanders of Megaton look up and shout “save us!” I’ll look down and whisper…

    …Tunnel Snakes Rule
  • DmanDman Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Mr. Quark wrote: »
    oldsak wrote: »
    Eh, it's probably not a crime of passion because he left and went back. In any case, going on the run to avoid the inevitable death sentence seems unlikely, as the death sentence is not inevitable. I feel like it would make more sense that he run for fear of being caught and facing punishment in general as opposed to fear specifically of the death penalty.
    Okay fair enough. So I'll have him running away from the fear of being caught. Now I just need a logical reason for his mate to stick with him the whole time

    His mate could tell him he's also on the run for some shitty reason and it's best they stick together but you find out later he's just deeply in love with him.

    Dman on
  • ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Do you know about jilted lovers and/or running from the law? If not, then you shouldn't be writing about it. I know I know, its hard to not write about an idea you have, but if you write about what you know things will be soooooo much better.

    Improvolone on
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  • Gabriel_PittGabriel_Pitt (effective against Russian warships) Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    WTF is wrong with you?

    Gabriel_Pitt on
  • Mr. QuarkMr. Quark __BANNED USERS regular
    edited May 2009
    Improvolone wrote: »
    Do you know about jilted lovers and/or running from the law? If not, then you shouldn't be writing about it. I know I know, its hard to not write about an idea you have, but if you write about what you know things will be soooooo much better.
    Tbh this idea is probably just a throwback from my overactive imagination and repeated viewings of Thelma and Louise

    Mr. Quark on
    The accumulated filth of all their hackin’ and wackin’ will foam up about their waists, and when all the ghouls and wastlanders of Megaton look up and shout “save us!” I’ll look down and whisper…

    …Tunnel Snakes Rule
  • BlindZenDriverBlindZenDriver Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    The suggestion to run together could be because the friend want to make the killer pay the ultimate price by his hands plus he also want to get away with the vigilante move. Ergo friend kills the killer thus becoming a killer and now we have a real morale dilemma :-)

    BlindZenDriver on
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  • ascannerlightlyascannerlightly Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Timothy Leary Come Check Out This Theory wrote: »
    Yeah, the death penalty in the US is a funny thing. We had a moratorium on it for a bit, then brought it back because "Vote for me, I'm tough on crime!"
    you pretty much outlined w's entire political ideology for his stint as governor of texas and president.

    ascannerlightly on
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