Not Sports But UGA Related: Laken Riley Trial Update

[Eli.Cash]

The expense of “death penalty” cases and then the many years of subsequent cost of keeping them on death row really does make it a losing option from a tax payer perspective. Add in that you can’t get a do over on a dead person and it’s not “worth it” financially.

If I remember, The cost is 2x-3x more and the average death penalty convict costs over $20M to bring to death.

Yeah, but sometimes you just have to spend the money. If we keep making excuses and don’t use that option when it’s really warranted, it sends the wrong message that we don’t have the guts to do what’s necessary and people’s lives aren’t worth it. We waste enough money on ridiculous programs… just take some of it back.

 

[donalsonville_dawg]

Yeah, but sometimes you just have to spend the money. If we keep making excuses and don’t use that option when it’s really warranted, it sends the wrong message that we don’t have the guts to do what’s necessary and people’s lives aren’t worth it. We waste enough money on ridiculous programs… just take some of it back.

I think this is a misunderstanding of the funding of death penalty trials and death row.

Those funds come from *states* or even counties themselves. States (and especially counties) don’t really have “ridiculous programs”. States have “schools” and “roads” to fund which aren’t “ridiculous programs”.

I get wanting retribution but the accused dying anonymously in prison in 40 years is pretty retributive, not to mention significantly more economical.

 

[accountingdawg2012]

This is odd. @RightAway any idea why they’d ask for a bench trial? Does the defense think the pre trial motions have validity and they’re just trying to get a verdict to appeal? I mean he’s getting life without parole regardless of whether it’s a judge or a jury but you can’t “hang” a judge

Knowing what I know about Judge Haggard, and having listened to my wife talk about how he runs his court (she served on a jury in his courtroom) this was an extremely interesting choice. He’s a hard ass on criminal defendants from my understanding and he is NOT the judge to have any sympathy in this case.

Also there was absolutely no way he was granting those motion’s to dismiss. They may have had some merit but Haggard was never going to agree. He’s a great judge and frankly I’m surprised he hasn’t been elevated to the federal bench.

 

[Eli.Cash]

I think this is a misunderstanding of the funding of death penalty trials and death row.

Those funds come from *states* or even counties themselves. States (and especially counties) don’t really have “ridiculous programs”. States have “schools” and “roads” to fund which aren’t “ridiculous programs”.

I get wanting retribution but the accused dying anonymously in prison in 40 years is pretty retributive, not to mention significantly more economical.

Well, if we’re too cheap to do it, maybe a lazy guard will take a well timed brake and the other inmates can give him the Dahmer treatment.

 

[d-dawg]

It would be appropriate to charge a few politicians as accessories in this case.

 

[TivoliDawg]

I think this is a misunderstanding of the funding of death penalty trials and death row.

Those funds come from *states* or even counties themselves. States (and especially counties) don’t really have “ridiculous programs”. States have “schools” and “roads” to fund which aren’t “ridiculous programs”.

I get wanting retribution but the accused dying anonymously in prison in 40 years is pretty retributive, not to mention significantly more economical.

In my experience, the goal of getting “life” (which is not really life) is to one day set these killers free.

If there were lots people who actually died in prison and could never get out, I’d be more for it.

But I have seen so many cases where a killer got 20-life… and is out in 6. For murdering a five year old.

“Life without parole”… and then they do get paroled.

We are using the death penalty, less and less, and these “long“ sentences are getting less long as time goes on. Our society is experiencing a problem, where we are not properly punishing the behavior we claim we want to punish.

Sidenote: if our system is so dysfunctional that it cost $20 million it takes too long to put someone on death row, then we simply need to revamp the death row procedure. That that is completely jumping the shark.

 

[3 Pete]

Yeah, but sometimes you just have to spend the money. If we keep making excuses and don’t use that option when it’s really warranted, it sends the wrong message that we don’t have the guts to do what’s necessary and people’s lives aren’t worth it. We waste enough money on ridiculous programs… just take some of it back.

I’ve never played the Georgia Lottery but I would if it paid this expense.

 

[Athens is Heaven]

The standard on change of venue is pretty high. I haven’t looked at it in a long time but there’s a pretty strong presumption that people be tried in the venue of the crime. This one may have been close but I don’t have enough info as to whether he should have moved it

I do not agree on the motions to suppress though. I think they had some merit based on what I was told by people I respect. Enough that they should be granted? I don’t know. But it wasn’t throwing stuff against the wall

I was told several years ago by our district DA, who is now a State judge, that he doubted anyone would ever be given the death penalty in GA.
The reason: it costs too much money for the state to try the case

How much does a 30-06 bullet cost?

 

[Athens is Heaven]

In my experience, the goal of getting “life” (which is not really life) is to one day set these killers free.

If there were lots people who actually died in prison and could never get out, I’d be more for it.

But I have seen so many cases where a killer got 20-life… and is out in 6. For murdering a five year old.

“Life without parole”… and then they do get paroled.

We are using the death penalty, less and less, and these “long“ sentences are getting less long as time goes on. Our society is experiencing a problem, where we are not properly punishing the behavior we claim we want to punish.

Sidenote: if our system is so dysfunctional that it cost $20 million it takes too long to put someone on death row, then we simply need to revamp the death row procedure. That that is completely jumping the shark.

If they get the death penalty the sentence should be carried out in one month. All these appeals are BS!

 

[ABODawgsNBlack20]

Good god. What must one person do to another to get the death penalty?

Imagine finding this body, face smashing in with a hammer, brain matter everywhere, just awful.

So the killer gets to live but the innocent get to die. That’s 2024 America for you.

It’s bullshi@😡