Capital Punishment
Kenneth Foster Jr. is scheduled to be executed in Texas tonight (8/30) for murder. Both the prosecution and the defense agree he never killed anybody. The murder occurred as he was sitting in a car 80 feet away as one of his friends robbed and shot the victim. There is conflicting evidence as to Mr. Foster's knowledge of the actual murder's intent. As part of a group of four, Mr. Foster and his friends had already robbed four other person the same evening with no one else being killed. Two other persons in the car are serving life sentences because they agreed to testify for the prosecution. Mr. Foster, 19yo at the time, did not agree to testify and was subsequently charged with murder and convicted under Texas law (the actual murderer was executed in 2006).
What do you think?
stan+
2 comments:
The governor of Texas, in an extraordinary action (for a Texas governor), granted a reprieve of Kenneth Foster, Jr's death sentence. Even more significant, the governor noted the flaws in the law that allowed Mr. Foster to be sentenced to death in the first place. He recommended to the Texas legislature that it consider this matter in its next session.
Morality 1 Texas 400
Question: If the death penalty is advocated as a deterrent in society to capital crimes, has the rate of capital crimes gone up or down since Texas became our leading execution state?
stan+
If he was charged with murder and convicted under Texas law, then it seems perhaps, just perhaps in Texas, unless you testify as we think the crime happened; you will be convicted anyway. Perhaps, this young chap had a rough record, but does that give a state the "right" to try him for a crime he didn't commit? He was present but didn't participate that was proven.
How much weight does guilty by association carry in Texas? Perhaps too much.
Peace be with you.
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