Death Penalty Jury

I thought a new type of debate that wasn't 'Do you believe in this, or this' would be interesting. In this debate, I present a case and the case facts. You act as a Juror and use your personal discretion. The case under review is Missouri V Simmons.
Simmons has already been found guilty of; Murder in the first degree; Burglary; Kidnapping; Theft.
You need to provide your argument to whether or not he should receive the death penalty.
(note: The execution of minors has been deemed unconstitutional, so any curious meeps should know that Simmons did not receive death.)

Case Facts: In early September 1993, Simmons, then 17, discussed with his friends, Charlie Benjamin (age 15) and John Tessmer (age 16), the possibility of committing a burglary and murdering someone. On several occasions, Simmons described the manner in which he planned to commit the crime: he would find someone to burglarize, tie the victim up, and ultimately push the victim off a bridge. Simmons assured his friends that their status as juveniles would allow them to “get away with it.” Simmons apparently believed that a “voodoo man” who lived in a nearby trailer park would be the best victim. Rumor had it that the voodoo man owned hotels and motels and had lots of money despite his residence in a mobile home park.

On September 8, 1993, Simmons arranged to meet Benjamin and Tessmer at around 2:00 a.m. the following morning for the purpose of carrying out the plan. The boys met at the home of Brian Moomey, a 29-year old convicted felon who allowed neighbor teens to “hang out” at his home. Tessmer met Simmons and Benjamin, but refused to go with them and returned to his own home. Simmons and Benjamin left Moomey’s and went to Shirley Crook’s house to commit a burglary.

The two found a back window cracked open at the rear of Crook’s home. They opened the window, reached through, unlocked the back door, and entered the house. Moving through the house, Simmons turned on a hallway light. The light awakened Mrs. Crook, who was home alone. She sat up in bed and asked, “Who’s there?” Simmons entered her bedroom and recognized Mrs. Crook as a woman with whom he had previously had an automobile accident. Mrs. Crook apparently recognized him as well.

Simmons ordered Mrs. Crook out of her bed and on to the floor with Benjamin’s help. While Benjamin guarded Mrs. Crook in the bedroom, Simmons found a roll of duct tape, returned to the bedroom and bound her hands behind her back. They also taped her eyes and mouth shut. They walked Mrs. Crook from her home and placed her in the back of her mini-van. Simmons drove the can from Mrs. Crook’s home in Jefferson County to Castlewood State Park in St. Louis County.

At the park, Simmons drove the van to a railroad trestle that spanned the Meramec River. Simmons parked the van near the railroad trestle. He and Benjamin began to unload Mrs. Crook from the van and discovered that she had freed her hands and had removed some of the duct tape from her face. Using her purse strap, the belt from her bathrobe, a towel from the back of the van, and some electrical wire found on the trestle, Simmons and Benjamin found Mrs. Crook, restraining her hands and feet and covering her head with the towel. Simmons and Benjamin walked Mrs. Crook to the railroad trestle. There, Simmons bound her hands and feet together, hog-tie fashion, with the electrical cable and covered Mrs. Crook’s face completely with duct tape. Simmons then pushed her off the railroad trestle into the river below. At the time she fell, Mrs. Crook was alive and conscious. Simmons and Benjamin then threw Mrs. Crook’s purse in to the woods and drove the van back to the mobile home park across from the subdivision in which she lived.

Her body was found later that afternoon by two fishermen. Simmons was arrested the next day, September 10, at his high school.

Should Simmons have received the death penalty or not?

 

Ideally, I think all crimes should be done on a case-by-case basis. Rehabilitating any convicted felons wherever possible. However, in some extremely rare cases, I might go as far as saying that execution is the most moral. Because I'm a Utilitarian. But only if we can (not sure how) determine that someone has an incredibly small chance of being rehabilitated.

But as a matter of principle, the death penalty should still be illegal. Because we don't have the means to pursue the idealistic possibility that I laid out above. The same thing goes for torture. I think it's incredibly easy to imagine a case in which it would be immoral not to torture someone. But without rigorous 'checks and balances' in place, along with a potential disturbing and arbitrary level of 'When we decide to use torture', I think it forces our hand. It should also remain illegal.

 

The only time I agree upon the death penalty is for either, they are such a large threat that they can't even be trusted in solitary confinement for the own safety of prisoners and guards. Or they did something truly awful like rape of a minor/sex trafficking or torture.


Other than those reasons I belive that no man has a right to take another mans life unless that mans life is at stake.

 

Why waste money on men who took another mans life?

 

Would you say that binding a woman, throwing her off a bridge and subsequently drowning her, as she has no means to escape the duct tape mask or bindings, is not a 'truly awful' crime? I'd say that's a daunting ordeal for the one being kidnapped, emotionally, physiologically, it's just gruesome.

So death or not? Prison costs money too.

I think the only way we could really do that is to try rehabilitation right from the start. If they're found guilty, we put give them specifically catered groups and lessons, educate them, and maybe introduce the option for religious classes if they feel so inclined.

I'd be totally 100% for the rehabilitation of criminals, even of major felony charges. Maybe someone grew up in the wrong 'hood' or one of any other specific circumstances.
Unfortunately we (obviously) don't have the resources to do this, nor the money given to federal/state institutions specifically. Though as a country, we sure could be doing much more. I like that there IS a couple rehab systems in prison/jail, parole on good time, rehab classes, help for those reintegrating. I just wish it was more extensive and helped a lot more people. Cause lets face it, we're wasting money holding people up in prisons.

 

just saying that sounds like torture? Binding and drowning? Don't we use water boarding or more commonly know as torture to interrogate terrorists?

 

I'm meaning prison costs money - money that doesn't need to be spent at all.

 

Okay guys, so I sent a full length opinion to qaws personally, but I do have a right to put my opinion here so I will do it in short: he should be killed, since he killed her. But now he's be living in a prison, with a bed, food, outside (most likely) and t.v... Even hobos don't get this much, and a fine portion of America and other places. If I was a hobo and didn't mind killing someone, I'd just do this to get a nice place for FREE. Well, maybe not nice but you get free food :/ and a free place to sleep..
Btw I would never kill someone... Unless self defense. That was if I didn't mind, which I do.

 

Traditional methods of execution are expensive af.
Do you perhaps suggest something low cost, like death by firing squad?

That's completely irrelevant man wtf.
Yes, the two guys tortured this woman prior to drowning her.

Death penalty for those two delinquents or not?

 

I find myself quite surprised by this but I agree with @TheDebatheist on most if not all of his points. I too believe that court cases should be judged on a case to case basis. I also believe that every convicted felon should have the chance to be rehabilitated and allowed back into society if successfully rehabilitated. I normally am completely against the death penalty except for the most extreme cases where the convicted person has no way of being rehabilitated (yes this is nearly if not impossible to determine) and poses a threat to the guards watching him/her.

Even though Simmon was a "juvenile" when he committed this murder, he had already committed crimes and first degree murder before, he also was one year under being considered an adult, and it appears that he murdered Mrs. Crooks just because he could. These three main points and many others makes me believe that he had a serious loose screw that made him think that killing and committing crimes was ok. I believe that the Missouri Supreme Court took the right path with putting Simmons in jail and that being jailed for life without chance of parole is far worse then dying instantly.

 

A nice piece of rope or a bullet to the head would do fine

 

Unfortunately modern day politicians would probably consider both of those options as "cruel and unusual punishment".

 

These simple executions would do justice but not 'politically justified' or 'politically correct.'

 

I'm sorry, he'd already been charged with THAT murder and found guilty, he had no prior offenses.

 

In China, if you are convicted of murdering another person, you are lined up and shot, and the cost of the bullet is sent to your family.

I personally do believe in an eye for an eye. he goes and hogties a woman, throws her off a bridge, and leaves her to drown, all just because he wants to? A person like that does not deserve to live imo.

 

True, I agree 100%!

 

I'll take 'Party Affiliation' for $200, Alex.

Errr... "What is a Republican?"

*Ding ding ding!*

 

would have to be American first

 

T'was just a joke man, don't worry.

 

Clearly if someone can think and plan like an adult, they should be tried as an adult.