Ebbers Sentenced

[TonyD]

Bernie Ebeers of WorldCom gets 30 years for fraud. Basically, a life sentence.

I guess he should have just murdered and raped someone, he would be out in 5 - 10.

 

[Nickle]

Pay attention to the Donald Fell case up here in Vermont. He's been found guilty of Murder by the Fed's. His sentencing is going on right now, and the only question is "Life" or "Death". I hope the latter. The victim is friend's relative.

Link added: http://www.thechamplainchannel.com/news/4715038/detail.html

 

[dwarven1]

Bernie Ebeers of WorldCom gets 30 years for fraud. Basically, a life sentence.

Not to mention the fines... I think they left him a house and about $50K and took everything else.

Ross

 

[dwarven1]

Pay attention to the Donald Fell case up here in Vermont. He's been found guilty of Murder by the Fed's. His sentencing is going on right now, and the only question is "Life" or "Death". I hope the latter.

First off, my sympathies to you and your friend. I've had a close friend killed by some psycho who should never have been on the streets (or armed), so I know what it's like.

About the death penalty, though...I used to be able to say that... Over the last several years, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that, satisfying as it is to think of putting a rapist/murderer/terrorist to death, I would not be able to do so.

No, NOT because I think it's state-spnsored murder. It's much simpler than that. WHAT IF WE'RE WRONG AND SENTENCE AN INNOCENT MAN TO DEATH!?

There have been too many wrongly-convicted people getting released lately, who've been proved innocent by new evidence or new tests... At least if they're still alive we can say "Oops" and hand them a large portion of the state's annual budget for damages. Tough to raise the dead and apologize. I'd rather pay the taxes to house and feed 'em for the rest of their life, safely locked in a cage.

But I don't think that they deserve free cable TV or all the rest of the luxuries that the liberals have been giving the prison populace! Four walls, a bed and 3 sqares - anything else they want, they can bloody well pay for themselves!

Ross

 

[Nickle]

I really only believe in executing them when guilt is "Iron Clad". NO POSSIBLE chance of innocence. They have to be caught in the act, with witnesses that are non-LEO's and not connected to either the victim or the suspect.

Nobody should EVER be executed because of circumstantial evidence or eye-witness testimony alone. You are right, there are too many mistakes.

Though I doubt this one would be a mistake.

 

[dwarven1]

Sounds like you and I are in agreement. But even witnesses can be wrong; some of the cases here in MA are ones with witnesses swearing still that the person is guilty, and the DNA evidence saying "No way, Jose!"

About the only kinds of cases I can see it for are the BTK killer - he's admitted his guilt.

Ross

 

[Nickle]

That's why "caught in the act" AND witnesses. Both should be required.

Eyewitnesses are extremely unreliable. That has been proven many times over.

 

[Len-2A Training]

If DNA proves the guilt, I can easily accept that death is appropriate in rape, murder, torture, terrorism and treason cases. . .and I'd be willing to be the executioneer!

 

[dwarven1]

Vermont Jury Recommends Death for Killer
By WILSON RING
Associated Press Writer

BURLINGTON, Vt. - A federal jury Thursday ruled that a man should be put to death for kidnapping and killing a supermarket worker, in the state's first capital punishment trial in nearly a half-century.
Jurors reached their decision on Donald Fell, 25, on the second day of deliberations. Vermont has no death penalty; Fell was convicted under federal law.

Fell showed no emotion as a court clerk read aloud the jury's recommendation, but his lawyer then stood and said he had a statement from Fell for the jurors.

"He respects your decision. He appreciates your hard work and wants to tell you and the family of his sincere remorse. He did not want to do it at any other time publicly as it would be construed to be less genuine," the lawyer said.

Fell was convicted June 24 of kidnapping Terry King, 53, as she arrived for work at a Rutland supermarket, taking her across the New York state line and bludgeoning her to death as she prayed for her life.

"It's justice for my sister," Barbara Tuttle said after the verdict. "Everyone got to listen to what he did to her and this is his punishment."

In 2001 Fell had agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life without parole. But that deal was rejected by then-U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, who insisted on the death penalty.

Under federal law the judge must impose the death sentence if that is what the jury recommends.

The last execution in Vermont was in 1954. Another defendant was sentenced to death in 1957, but the sentence was later commuted.

Robert Lee, who allegedly carried out the kidnap-murder with Fell, died in prison in 2001. His death was ruled an accidental hanging.

King's abduction came as Fell and Lee were fleeing Rutland after they had killed Fell's mother and a friend of hers.

Fell's attorneys didn't contest his guilt. Rather, they argued the killing spree resulted from a lifetime of drugs and alcohol, physical and sexual abuse by his parents and a baby sitter.

But in his closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Kelly said that "the evidence, the law and justice demand only one verdict in this case. It calls for you to impose the death sentence."

--------------------------

OK, he didn't contest that he did it. Which I'm assuming (big one, here) means that he really did it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Pull the trigger. No objections here.

Ross

 

[Admin]

Fell's attorneys didn't contest his guilt. Rather, they argued the killing spree resulted from a lifetime of drugs and alcohol, physical and sexual abuse by his parents and a baby sitter.

Ross

Of course, he's the victim here. What a joke... [roll]

 

[Nickle]

Thanks for the Good News, Ross.

I was sure all along that this one was cut and dried guilty, just couldn't remember why. Your post reminded me why it was.

Derek, nobody up here that I know, thinks he's the victim, even those who don't want him executed.

 

[Admin]

The point I'm trying to make is when ever somebody commits a crime like that, people always try to come up with excuses of why the murderer did what he/she did.

What ever happened to "Crazy"? If you murdered someone it doesn't matter why, or how tough your life was. My childhood wasn't exactly peaches either, I haven't commited murder. The killing spree didn't result from drugs, alcohol, physical, and sexual abuse. It resulted because this person was crazy.

 

[Nickle]

Oh, I got the point. I guess you haven't heard what some of our Liberals up here have been doing. They've picketed the Federal Building every day, protesting the death penalty, trying to force Vermont penalties on the Fed's. But, none of them figure the punk is innocent, or buy into the excuses, either. He wasn't crazy, he was indifferent. He knew what he did was wrong, at the time he did it. But, your point is correct. He's not the victim.