May 16, 2013

  • Life or Death

    Jodi Aries gave an interview after her conviction of 1st degree murder in which she told the media that she would prefer the death penalty rather than life in prison.  Since then the media has been hyping that statement trying to whip the public into speculating whether or not Jodi is trying to use reverse psychology to save herself from getting the death penalty.  OK.  I'll play along.

    I think she really does prefer death to life in prison.  Two reasons.  First: Jodi Aries is a person who wants to be in control of everything in her life.  If she get the death penalty, she can go down telling herself that it is by her wish, her decision to die, and no one else made the decision.  She maintains control to the end.

    The second possibility is that she realizes that spending 23 hours a day in a 7 X 10 cell is not gonna be fun.  That's a very small space, especially after one puts in a bed, a toilet, and a sink.  What's left is barely room enough to move around.  And this confinement will last for perhaps 50 years.  That's more that 18,000 days if she lives to the age of 82, which is conceivable.

    Hell, given the choice, I'd prefer death too.  It would give me some measure of freedom, to paraphase her.  The question is what sentence to handdown.  Part of me thinks that she should get life without the possibility of parole.  Along with that would be a provision to provide her with a straight edge razor for a period of one week with which she can cut her own throat if she really wants to die.  Another part of me wants to go with the death penalty, and get it done quickly to save the State the cost of a lengthy incarceration. 

    Some would argue that death is cruel and unusual punishment.  I disagree.  A lifetime in a 7 X 10 cell for 23 hours a day 7 days a week for 50 years or so is a lot more cruel for most people.  And by extention, making a death-row inmate wait for 10/12/15/20 years for the sentence to be carried out is cruel.  Execution of sentence needs to be swift in cases as clear-cut as Jodi Aries' case is. No more than 2/3 years for appeal should be allowed in cases where the evidence is so strong.