A new law "Life for the murder of policemen"

WW;

Haven't seen the bill but I'd go for LWOP for attempted murder of a LEO and automatic death for killing a LEO. 

Mike Heemer http://24.23.126.8/ Petition for choice (5 or 7) in Nov.

Personally, I'd like to see sentencing guidelines for all or most violent crimes.  It's so common to see violent criminals back on the street commiting more violent crimes because judges determined there were extenuating circumstancess in the earlier cases.  Victims that shouldn't have been victims are suffering because judges couldn't or wouldn't enforce the letter of the law.  It shouldn't have come to the point where law abiding citizens are now considering arming themselves just so they can go to the mall.  That's my opinion.  I'd like to hear yours.

I like the concept, but lets take it further.

I think it should be applied to all attemtped murder convictions. If an indivdual has a demeanor that allows them to attempt to kill a cop, they would also have no problems unleashing their violent tendencies on an every day common citizen. The punishment should be the same/equal.

 TRUTHHURTS

I totally agree with Truthhurts.

 I have a huge respect for Law Enforcement,dont get me wrong.I also dont think that having that guideline applying to Police only ,sends a good message. It says that THEIR lives are worth more than the average citizen.

I think its pure common sense to have Life sentences for attempting/commiting murder.

I also agree with Walt, that violent crimes in general should have some kind of sentencing guidelines.These are the people we want to keep off the streets, and away from our loved ones most.

Of course I dont much believe in second chances either. I'm a big supporter of the death penalty.The statistics on repeat offenses speaks for itself.

Miani

Personally, we should take the arab method, you steal an apple, you get your hand cut off.  You shoot a policeman, you get shot back.  I'd be willing to bet that crime would go way down and the possibility of civil war would go way up.

I think violent offenders should have life sentences for attempting/committing murder. I think violent sexual offenders and predators should have life sentences too.

I don't think having guidelines should be just for law enforcement but for all people.

I can't support the death penalty. I had until I moved to Florida been a big supporter of the death penalty. Things that I have seen in this State has changed my mind completely.

Florida has released the most people of any State on death row after finding them innocent.

I remember a man named Juan Melendez' who's long nightmare ended in January 2002 when he walked off death row after 17 years. He was innocent.

The state freed Rudolph Holton after 14 years on death row. Evidence was discovered that had been suppressed.

Chad Heinz was recently freed after 10 years for committing murder. Evidence was discovered that had been suppressed.

As a person who works in Jax that is considered the murder capital of Florida deal with this reality daily. It's ugly over there in some areas that I have to work. I carry a gun for my own protection. I am the first line of defense of my own self.

When I see a bill like this I think of the statement Juan Melendez made after being released. He works in the community for awareness of the situation and to inform people. He said he believes there are innocent people remaining on death row.  

I often remember his words when he spoke, "The death penalty is for politicians to get votes to show they are tough on crime," he said. "It's about hate, vengeance and anger."

Yes there are people on death row that may be innocent. You have to keep in mind that these people were convicted a long time ago.

We now have the ability to use DNA to convict a person. We have security cameras. We have people that have cell phone cameras.

I think that if a person is convicted now of murder the chances are 99.9 % they did it.

If the police catch a person in the act, it is a no brainer.

Life is not perfect. Mistakes are made all the time. Even I have made them.

The only thing I have against the death law is why are we paying to keep people on death row for so many years?

Those who give up freedom for security have neither.

You know it's easy to convict people who have had wrongful convictions. Because we must believe the powers that be because they are never wrong. Well I don't have that must faith in the system. They like numbers and solved cases. Quite frankly they don't care sometimes as long as they say they have solved the case.

I think we have the best system of justice in the world. Sometimes they make mistakes because we are all human. Sometimes they make choices to suppress evidence to make a case. Sometimes they don't fully investigate matters due to lack of funds. If you can't afford some high priced lawyer. Then where is justice in that case.

I would rather never put anyone to death if I thought one person was put to death that was innocent. Because that makes us no better than the person who committed the murder. Because in fact we just murdered an innocent person. The person who committed the murder is free to roam and kill or harm others.

You really have to appreciate people such as The Innocence Project who donates their time to help these people. They helped the guy in Jacksonville Chad Heinz regain his freedom.

Here's a link to news story. This man was cleared by DNA 26 years later. How long have we had DNA testing. It took 26 years and the innocence projects to help this man gain his freedom.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/florida/news-article.aspx?storyid=78348

According to Barry Scheck, executive director of the Innocence Project, three-quarters of the 197 prisoners who have been exonerated by post-conviction DNA in the United States had been convicted based on mistaken identification. 

In light of the case in New York City where law enforcement hailed 50 rounds in a car that killed a man that was suppose to have a gun. Maybe if they changed the law and said when leo's make mistakes we put them to death too. Of course that would never happen. Those guys were exonerated.

Let's just hope those who support the death penalty never are the victim of mistaken identification. Talking about giving up freedom!

Angela,

Each and every one of the convicts on death row is innocent. Don’t believe it? Just ask them and each of them will tell you that they didn’t do the crime. I’m sure that some of them are lying though.

Each time I’ve stood Jury Duty the judge instructed us that a person is guilty if the evidence proves them to be if we are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, not any shadow of a doubt. Fortunately today the forensic tools are much better than they were 20 years ago. I’m sure that the jurors who passed out verdicts in years past did so after much deliberation and soul-searching but they did it without malice and with utmost care. They also did it unanimously. It only takes one dissenter to cancel out the other eleven. There is always the possibility that a mistake could have been made and that is the reason why all Death penalty cases go to automatic appeal. For that reason, I don’t shed a tear when a Death Row inmate is executed.

Thankfully we now have DNA and a myriad of other techniques to prove the quilt or innocence of people put on trial. If this evidence is presented properly and the jury passes out a guilty verdict, I am quite confident that the right person was convicted. Still, no tears from me. I’m sure that Barry Sheck and the Innocence Project pick and chose which windmills to tilt. If he wasn’t dead sure of the outcome, he wouldn’t waste his time and resources. How many challenges has he made to verdicts handed out in the last ten years?

Personally I’m neither pro nor con about the death penalty. All I care about is that the person convicted will be put in a place where he will never commit another crime. If that place is six foot underground, then so be it.

If we killed one innocent person then we are the animals not them. In my opinion each person on that jury that voted in favor of death should suffer the same. After all they just murdered an innocent person. I would call that murder not the death penalty.

In a perfect world all evidence would be presented properly and fact based. I've concluded it's not in many cases. When sitting on a jury information has been hand picked by the best. What they can hear and what they can't hear. They are only allowed to make a decision based off what was presented. I've seen and talked to many juror's who have later found out information. They have stated if they were given that information they would have made a different decision. I also know some of the pressure that can be placed on individuals that are dissenters in those close door deliberations.

Recently a man was released from jail who was innocent. The attorney for the guy who did commit the murder confessed on tape he was the person. Due to Attorney- Client Confidential Relationship he could not release that taped confession. He did get the guy to agree that after his death he would allow the release of that information. The guy was just recently released after the other man's death. The attorney said the prosecutors and the police caused the wrong man to be convicted. Not because he wasn't allowed to release the confession. Nonetheless that guy spent many years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He could have been put to death or died waiting to prove his innocence.

I am all for the right person serving time for the crimes they commit. I'm not for the 6ft under because there they have no opportunity to prove their innocence. After all if the State has no problem paying to keep up an innocence person. Then why should they fuss about keeping up a gulity person for life.

After all what purpose has been served in killing a person. You can't bring someone back. If you give them life without parole then if they are innocent they have an opportuinty to prove they are innocent. When innocence people get out you can't give them their life back either.

Personally and that's just me speaking because lots of the citizens in our state support death. I can't, I've seen humans err too many times. The State of Florida has released more people than any other State from death row.

All people say their innocent and all law enforcement contend they didn't use excessive use of force or excessive use of firepower. I don't believe all of them either.

Either way, I will never vote on a jury to put someone to death ever. That's just the way I feel about it now. Before I would of had no problem with the death penalty.

I think we both can agree convicting the right person is the ultimate goal and preventing them from harming others. Convicting an innocent person only leaves the wrong person out to continue committing crimes.