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<p>I remember a case about 30 years ago where a man raped a 10 year old boy. The father of the boy shot the man while he was in route to court. The father exclaimed, “if it had been your boy, you would have done the same.” The jury convicted him. I would have acquitted.</p>
<p>razorsharp–</p>
<p>These do seem to be situations that test one’s soul. To let someone go because there is reasonable doubt and to convict where there is not reasonable doubt, but you would have done the same as the guilty party, is giving respect to the law.</p>
<p>Razorsharp.</p>
<p>That dad ended up serving 5 years probation. Nothing more. His son, was raped but not otherwise harmed. They couldn’t acquit. It was all caught on film.</p>
<p>So the richer and more developed your country the less your murder rate should be?</p>
<p>Boy, I don’t think so.</p>
<p>Scary. These kids need the natural fear of GOD put in them</p>
<p>07DAD, we can only presume we might have done the same. I would like to think that as much as I might hate such a person, I would allow our justice system to do its job, and then do everything possible to see the perp never got out of jail. To kill him on the way to court is to declare you don’t trust the rest of society, in the form of the jury, to do the right thing. Not to say I know what I would do if they jury didn’t do what I felt was the right thing. I would feel compelled to convict the father, but to consider the mitigating circumstances during sentencing. If given the option, I might also consider convicting of a lesser change, but we can’t allow vigilante justice and still call ourselves civilized.</p>
<p>“I find it so interesting that the death penalty is decided by states.”</p>
<p>How else would it be decided? By racial make up of the county? How many terms the local Sheriff has been elected? Average SAT scores of the nearest high school?</p>
<p>“There are many more countries that are much more dangerous than ours.”</p>
<p>Many more third-world nations.</p>
<p>"… mitigating circumstances …"</p>
<p>We already have mitigating circumstances. The school year was approaching!</p>
<p>“I would have acquitted.”</p>
<p>Me too. What greater punishment is there than having to take care of a traumatized child for twenty years?</p>
<p>“I was addressing moral culpability.”</p>
<p>Christopher Lane is morally culpable for his own death. He knew the US has a high homicide rate and did NOTHING to defend himself.</p>
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<p>sax, I can’t believe you remembered that case too and even with better detail. I am ok with five years probation. </p>
<p>I would have voted for acquittal even though doing so would have been wrong and not following the case as I would have sworn to do. It’s called jury nullification and I am in favor of it anytime a child rapists is killed by anyone.</p>
<p>CTScoutmom–</p>
<p>I agree.</p>
<p>razorshrap–</p>
<p>Would you have admitted to same in voir dire?</p>
<p>^ 07DAD - Are you suggesting that a small lie in voir dire is worse than avenging the rape of a ten year-old child?</p>
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<p>Yes, which probably means I would never have been put on the jury. </p>
<p>NewHope you shouldn’t be posting on a thread you tried to close. It’s bad form.</p>
<p>^ Bad form? That’s pretty funny, given how sad/laughable some other posts have been. Hey, if these kids hadn’t been so ignorant of Oklahoma’s SJG law they probably would have avoided arrest! “Hey, I saw this guy running toward my house carrying what looked like a weapon … though it turned out to be a runner’s watch. I didn’t want him coming back and killing me so I shot him to save myself and my friends.” Worked for GZ, why not these three?</p>
<p>Only if Christopher Lane had attacked one of these thugs first like Trayvon Martin did to George Zimmerman would they have been able to claim self defense as Zimmerman did.</p>
<p>interesting: <a href=“Understanding How Children Develop Empathy - The New York Times”>Understanding How Children Develop Empathy - The New York Times;
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<p>No. They need to be imbued with the ethics of humanism.</p>
<p>Religious people kill innocents all the time because “god” told them to do it.</p>