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Pastimes : THE SLIGHTLY MODERATED BOXING RING
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To: J. C. Dithers who wrote (3674)3/20/2002 12:28:43 PM
From: Lane3  Read Replies (1) of 21057
 
The cost/benefit issue is distorted by the enormous amount of effort put into the appeal process.

I agree that the appeals process is a huge cost item and that we should get rid of it. There are two ways to get rid of it. One is to severely limit appeals. The cleaner way to get rid of the appeals is to get rid of capital punishment. That would knock it out that huge cost immediately.

One problem with computing the costs is that so many of them are unknown and unknowable. We can estimate the cost of appeals. But we don't have a clue as to the cost in terms of, say, international relations. What did the State Department have to give up to get a certain wanted criminal extradited? Whatever it was, it might have cost us a battle in the terrorism war. We have no way of knowing some of the costs.

The death penalty affects the system in complex ways. I remember when they made kidnapping a capital offense. You may recall the discussion at the time. I recall wondering whether a kidnapper would be more or less likely to release a victim under those circumstances. Duh!

I think a case could be made for restricting the death penalty to the murder of police officials. That would limit the costs dramatically and likely have real deterrent effect.

Karen
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