Marathon Bombing Victim's Family on Death Penalty

[jillboston]

The family of Martin Richard (the child killed in the  Marathon bombing) wrote an op-ed piece in the Boston Globe yesterday urging the gov't to drop the death penalty.

www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/16/end-anguish-drop-death-penalty/ocQLejp8H2vesDavItHIEN/story.html

The federal prosecutor Carmen Ortiz says today that they will continue to seek the death penalty.
I am not a fan of Ortiz and we are not a death penalty state. I realize she wouldn't change her pursuit of the death penalty just because the Richard family asked - but I hope the jury votes against it.

[secretlyevil]

I personally don't know how I "feel" about the DP in this specific situation but it's not about me.

[josieposy]

Have the other families said anything?

[jillboston]

Apr 18, 2015 7:39:50 GMT -5 josieposy said:

Have the other families said anything?

Not the families of the two other victims that were killed. Some of the people who were injured (lost limbs) have said they would not lose sleep if the bomber was executed. I do think that the Richard family was implying that if the Fed prosecutor had not asked for the death penalty that they might not have had to suffer thru the testimony (including showing Martin's bloody clothes) - the defense admitted guilt on the first day.

[readyin07]

Apr 18, 2015 7:14:40 GMT -5 secretlyevil said:

I personally don't know how I "feel" about the DP in this specific situation but it's not about me.

Oy. Right here with you. In theory, I am really conflicted about the dp. It unfairly punishes minorities and the impoverished, what about questions of innocence. It is hard. In this case especially I think the dp and martyrdom are what the defendant and "the cause" want and for that reason alone I can understand a life sentence. I'm a fan of the whole an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind idealism. 

But damn if that was my little boy, I would want him drawn and quartered and I don't think I would even feel bad about it.

[ttt]

They didn't exactly say they don't want him to die. The only reason they're asking for the death penalty to be dropped is so they don't have to suffer through years of appeals and more years of him having his name in the news. I don't blame them for that.

[KateAggie]

I do not care what happens to him.

I will say, though, that seeking the death penalty should be about the crime, not the choices of the victims. Not that I don't feel for the victims, I do. But I think the death penalty should be about paying for your crime, and allowing families to decide takes it to a vengeance/no vengeance place for me. I'm not wording that well...hopefully my point comes through anyway.

[gpw]

Apr 18, 2015 16:58:57 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

I do not care what happens to him.

I will say, though, that seeking the death penalty should be about the crime, not the choices of the victims. Not that I don't feel for the victims, I do. But I think the death penalty should be about paying for your crime, and allowing families to decide takes it to a vengeance/no vengeance place for me. I'm not wording that well...hopefully my point comes through anyway.

Amen.  Our justice system is *supposed* to be devoid of emotion and not a place for vengeance.  This is why we have judges and juries and not victims deciding the fates of the convicted.  

[foundmylazybum]

Apr 18, 2015 19:13:22 GMT -5 gpw said:

Apr 18, 2015 16:58:57 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

I do not care what happens to him.

I will say, though, that seeking the death penalty should be about the crime, not the choices of the victims. Not that I don't feel for the victims, I do. But I think the death penalty should be about paying for your crime, and allowing families to decide takes it to a vengeance/no vengeance place for me. I'm not wording that well...hopefully my point comes through anyway.

Amen.  Our justice system is *supposed* to be devoid of emotion and not a place for vengeance.  This is why we have judges and juries and not victims deciding the fates of the convicted.  

The attorney has said that she has talked to dozens and dozens of victims and is working to consider their "voice" in concert with the charges.

That being said, this ass-face is charged with 17 charges that carry the death penalty. I feel HORRIBLE for the Richard family, but I don't think the justice system should be undermined by one family.

[erbear]

Apr 18, 2015 14:30:39 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Apr 18, 2015 7:14:40 GMT -5 secretlyevil said:

I personally don't know how I "feel" about the DP in this specific situation but it's not about me.

Oy. Right here with you. In theory, I am really conflicted about the dp. It unfairly punishes minorities and the impoverished, what about questions of innocence. It is hard. In this case especially I think the dp and martyrdom are what the defendant and "the cause" want and for that reason alone I can understand a life sentence. I'm a fan of the whole an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind idealism. 

But damn if that was my little boy, I would want him drawn and quartered and I don't think I would even feel bad about it.

I agree with you. But their reasoning makes sense to me too. They are not no DP because they feel bad for the defendant. They don't want to have to relive his death over and over again through testimony in appeal after appeal.

[LoveTrains]

MA is a no death penalty state for a reason. The people don't feel comfortable with that kind of "justice". They were talking on the radio about the prison that Aaron Hernandez will go to - he got life in prison with no parole. It sounds like a horrific life. Frankly death seems almost too kind for Dzokhar.

[msmerymac]

Apr 18, 2015 16:58:57 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

I do not care what happens to him.

I will say, though, that seeking the death penalty should be about the crime, not the choices of the victims. Not that I don't feel for the victims, I do. But I think the death penalty should be about paying for your crime, and allowing families to decide takes it to a vengeance/no vengeance place for me. I'm not wording that well...hopefully my point comes through anyway.

I don't know. I feel like no matter who decides, the death penalty is almost always about vengeance. 

[KateAggie]

Apr 18, 2015 23:21:26 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Apr 18, 2015 16:58:57 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

I do not care what happens to him.

I will say, though, that seeking the death penalty should be about the crime, not the choices of the victims. Not that I don't feel for the victims, I do. But I think the death penalty should be about paying for your crime, and allowing families to decide takes it to a vengeance/no vengeance place for me. I'm not wording that well...hopefully my point comes through anyway.

I don't know. I feel like no matter who decides, the death penalty is almost always about vengeance. 

Well, isn't that the whole debate? People that feel like you do vs. People who feel like I do? But that doesn't seem to be the reasoning for this family, and even if it were, as long as the death penalty is an option, it is up to the prosecution to decide if they think it is warranted to ask for that ruling.

[LoveTrains]

Apr 18, 2015 23:27:42 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

Apr 18, 2015 23:21:26 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

I don't know. I feel like no matter who decides, the death penalty is almost always about vengeance. 

Well, isn't that the whole debate? People that feel like you do vs. People who feel like I do? But that doesn't seem to be the reasoning for this family, and even if it were, as long as the death penalty is an option, it is up to the prosecution to decide if they think it is warranted to ask for that ruling.

it was a federal crime so it's tried in federal court with federal penalties. But if it was just Massachusetts dealing with this, the death penalty wouldn't be on the table at all.

[readyin07]

Apr 18, 2015 19:48:46 GMT -5 erbear said:

Apr 18, 2015 14:30:39 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Oy. Right here with you. In theory, I am really conflicted about the dp. It unfairly punishes minorities and the impoverished, what about questions of innocence. It is hard. In this case especially I think the dp and martyrdom are what the defendant and "the cause" want and for that reason alone I can understand a life sentence. I'm a fan of the whole an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind idealism. 

But damn if that was my little boy, I would want him drawn and quartered and I don't think I would even feel bad about it.

I agree with you. But their reasoning makes sense to me too. They are not no DP because they feel bad for the defendant. They don't want to have to relive his death over and over again through testimony in appeal after appeal.

Oh yes, I completely and totally understand and respect that.

And listen I'm coming from a place where obviously I've (praise God) never dealt with anything like this. And it's hard b/c I really do feel anti-dp, but that is coming from that "privileged" position so who knows what I would really feel in the moment. But thinking about it in my head, I would want vengeance if that happened to my child...even as hypocritical as that makes me...because logic and how I feel about things objectively play into no part about how I feel about MY kid and MY family and I understand why families want that vengeance too and it's hard for me to criticize anyone for that.

[erbear]

Apr 19, 2015 8:27:20 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Apr 18, 2015 19:48:46 GMT -5 erbear said:

I agree with you. But their reasoning makes sense to me too. They are not no DP because they feel bad for the defendant. They don't want to have to relive his death over and over again through testimony in appeal after appeal.

Oh yes, I completely and totally understand and respect that.

And listen I'm coming from a place where obviously I've (praise God) never dealt with anything like this. And it's hard b/c I really do feel anti-dp, but that is coming from that "privileged" position so who knows what I would really feel in the moment. But thinking about it in my head, I would want vengeance if that happened to my child...even as hypocritical as that makes me...because logic and how I feel about things objectively play into no part about how I feel about MY kid and MY family and I understand why families want that vengeance too and it's hard for me to criticize anyone for that.

Totally agree. I have no idea how I would feel if that were my child. I'd like to think I'd hold true to my beliefs about the DP, but I don't know, and I hope that I never find out.