[Seattle-editorial] Article: American Death Penalty in Crisis: Arbitrary Justice?

Wed Jan 21 19:17:36 PST 2004

Ok I just tried to post the article after putting it on the newswire, but it didn't work for me.  I also needed to go into the article and add Kirsten's last name.  I did that and corrected a couple of things -- the title gets cut off -- titles need more room or else a warning that they will be cut off so people don't make them too long.

I then tried to post to feature column but it didn't appear to take; maybe it will later, but I didn't get any message that it was accepted, so I don't know.

It this doesn't take, someone else can try posting it.  It's on the wire at http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2004/01/237852.shtml

Also do we really need the summaries--can those be optional--I find they get in the way of the story.  

Judy

> -----Original Message-----
> From: typist at speakeasy.net [mailto:typist at speakeasy.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 06:35 PM
> To: 'Seattle, Editorial'
> Cc: sheelanagig at juno.com
> Subject: Re:  [Seattle-editorial] Article: American Death Penalty in Crisis:	Arbitrary     Justice?
> 
> I'll give it a try.
> 
> Judy
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Gentry Lange [mailto:g at art13.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 09:19 AM
> > To: sheelanagig at juno.com, ticket9 at aol.com, editor at nwcitizen.us, 
> > imc-portland-workerbees at lists.indymedia.org, seattle-editorial at indymedia.org, 
> > books4prisoners at hotmail.com, editor at wafreepress.org, 
> > blackthorncollective at yahoo.com
> > Subject: RE: [Seattle-editorial] Article: American Death Penalty in Crisis:	Arbitrary Justice?
> > 
> > Approve. Someone who agrees, please post.
> > 
> > Gentry
> > 
> > _______________________________________________________
> > 
> > American Death Penalty in Crisis: Arbitrary Justice?
> > 
> > The story of Charles Champion is going to be an interesting one to watch
> > throughout 2004. Champion is a young black male, from Kent, Wa., who
> > killed a white Des Moines police officer on March 7, 2001. There is no
> > evidence that Champion premeditated this killing in days or hours prior,
> > it happened when Champion and his friends were pulled over by police.
> > Champion and his family have cooperated with the authorities, and
> > Champion has shown sincere remorse for the death of Officer Underwood. At
> > present, Champion is one of very few King County criminals who could face
> > the death penalty if convicted.
> > 
> > [Link to full Story]
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: seattle-editorial-bounces at lists.indymedia.org
> > [mailto:seattle-editorial-bounces at lists.indymedia.org]On Behalf Of
> > sheelanagig at juno.com
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 12:41 PM
> > To: ticket9 at aol.com; editor at nwcitizen.us;
> > imc-portland-workerbees at lists.indymedia.org;
> > seattle-editorial at indymedia.org; books4prisoners at hotmail.com;
> > editor at wafreepress.org; blackthorncollective at yahoo.com;
> > sheelanagig at Juno.com
> > Subject: [Seattle-editorial] Article: American Death Penalty in Crisis:
> > Arbitrary Justice?
> > 
> > 
> > American Death Penalty in Crisis: Arbitrary Justice?
> > 
> > The story of Charles Champion is going to be an interesting one to watch
> > throughout 2004. Champion is a young black male, from Kent, Wa., who
> > killed a white Des Moines police officer on March 7, 2001. There is no
> > evidence that Champion premeditated this killing in days or hours prior,
> > it happened when Champion and his friends were pulled over by police.
> > Champion and his family have cooperated with the authorities, and
> > Champion has shown sincere remorse for the death of Officer Underwood. At
> > present, Champion is one of very few King County criminals who could face
> > the death penalty if convicted.
> > 
> > Now juxtapose that with Gary Ridgway, the most “prolific serial killer in
> > U.S. history.” Ridgway pleaded guilty in King County, the same
> > jurisdiction that Champion is now in, to 48 counts of aggravated
> > first-degree murder. He premeditated the murders, he did not cooperate
> > with authorities until he was charged with crimes and offered a plea
> > bargain, and he did not show much, if any, remorse for what he did. King
> > County Prosecutor Norm Maleng, in Nov. 2001, said he would not offer
> > Ridgway a plea bargain regarding the death penalty in the Green River
> > Murder case, but in the end, he DID offer Ridgway life in prison without
> > the possibility of parole, instead of the death penalty, as part of a
> > plea bargain offer from King County.
> > 
> > A day after Ridgway’s sentencing, attorneys for Champion filed a motion
> > on his behalf questioning equal protection under the law and due process,
> > in light of the discrepancies between these two cases. On one hand, we
> > have a notorious serial murderer, a white man who intentionally killed
> > many minority women, who is offered a plea bargain for his confessions,
> > to avoid the death penalty. On the other hand, we have a black male, who
> > is offered no way to escape the death sentence, for killing one white
> > male. The white man who systematically killed 48 women is spared his
> > life. The black man who killed one white man is sentenced to death!
> > Yicks! It SMELLS suspicious
even if the way this is playing out is not
> > intentionally prejudiced, but rather, constructively racist and sexist,
> > it still plays out as sexist and racist.
> > 
> > If Ridgway’s plea bargain is allowed to stand without becoming legal
> > precedence, one wonders how arbitrary justice is. Are judges just writing
> > the laws on whims, that needn’t fit patterns of equal application? Legal
> > experts have predicted it is going to be hard for King County prosecutors
> > to argue that cases FAR less egregious than Ridgway’s deserve the death
> > penalty. Richard Dieter, the executive director of the national Death
> > Penalty Information Center, believes the Ridgway case will affect death
> > penalty cases nationwide. He said this was going to be “a crisis for the
> > death penalty.” The use of this plea bargaining by Maleng in Ridgway’s
> > case, has expanded the debate as to when the death penalty is
> > inappropriate.
> > 
> > King County prosecutors have argued that the Ridgway case should have no
> > bearing on the Champion case, saying a state Supreme Court would need to
> > hear the fairness issue. King County Superior Court Judge Anthony Wartnik
> > is expected to hear Champion’s case in May 2004, and it will be
> > interesting to see what his findings are. One of the prosecutors on the
> > Champion case is trying to argue the way out of this mess is that each
> > case is decided on its own merits, which is true. But there is also a
> > need for an equal application of justice in our courtrooms, and thus this
> > issue has merit, in my opinion.
> > 
> > And Champion’s attorneys are not the only ones using this Ridgway plea as
> > precedence. In Snohomish County, two young males are on trial for the
> > killing of Rachel Burkheimer, and their attorneys have also cited
> > Ridgway’s case on behalf of their clients, in an effort to protect them
> > from the death penalty. After all, their crimes were far less than those
> > of Ridgway, and Ridgway was given an offer of life without parole in
> > return for his admission of guilt! The death penalty is supposed to be
> > for the worst of the worst. If Gary Ridgway, aka the Green River Murder,
> > is spared the death penalty in plea bargains, that is raising the bar,
> > considerably, as to what is the worst. Apparently, 48 serial murders is
> > not the worst. And anyone under that high bar, deserves equal protection
> > under the law, with Gary Ridgway.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > *************************************************************************
> > *********************
> > For near-daily political ramblings from Kirsten, visit her blog at
> > www.kanderberg.blogspot.com
> > or go to her writing website at www.kirstenanderberg.com. For email
> > alerts when articles by Kirsten
> > are published, go to google.com and sign up for their news alerts in her
> > name.
> > 
> > 
> > ________________________________________________________________
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