General Chat

my word you guys have been busy.i think its a strong debate,and peeps feelings are even stronger,thanks for your efforts.xxxxxxxxxxxme

can we also bear in mind DNA evidence is only as honest as the person taking it i have read a auto biography of a FBI agent and it can be tampered with

This must be the most contentious and debated topic!! I personally believe the British judicial system is the best in the world, and one we should be proud of. Remember, one is tried by 12 of your peers and it is down to their opinion or judgement! In their guidance to juries, Judges use the expression 'beyond reasonable doubt', and a defence barrister in summing up to the jury will invariably use the phrase 'if there is reasonable doubt in your mind, you must acquit' However, taking things to the extreme you could be caught 'bang to rights' with the best DNA evidence supported by expert witnesses, and if all twelve members of the jury agree to deliver a not guilty verdict then you walk free. Perhaps, what I'm trying to say is because this is the way our legal system works then there are going to be flaws. There were some classic cases referred to earlier. Another one to consider is the trial of the Guildford Four who all had their convictions overturned as they were eventually considered unsafe. If the police had conducted the investigation correctly there may have been a different outcome....... who knows? But, I could not live with the fact that I may have been instrumental in ending the life of someone who was wrongly convicted. That would make me no better than any murderer - although I would have the system on my side. One innocent person killed would be one too many in my book! Life should mean life for pre-meditated murder and there should not be so many priviledges for those convicted. They should serve a hard sentence and never be allowed to rejoin society. At least mistakes could be rectified.

Nice thought Heather Lilxx

Or maybe arsenic.

Wonder if it involved unthanasia,

Just to add a thought...I believe 'life' prisoners in the US used to be allowed to volunteer as testers for new medicines, as a way of giving something back to society.

Oh Kathlyn thats awful her own Mother and shes walking the streets now free that evil women sorry i would not be able to control myself sorry Lilxx

With all the latest technology, I reckon there is a pretty good chance of getting it right in a murder case, so I have to say the death sentence. Not sure about hanging, maybe injection. Maybe this country needs to get back to a proper way of deterrent before everything goes crazy Janet

Sandie,# You could not begin to imagine what that time was like. The knock on the door and a policeman standing there. How were we going to get to the house where it happened which happened to be 30 miles away. it was a Sunday, we did not have a car, we had to ask a neighbour to take us. When we got there the road was cordoned off, police everywhere. We were then escorted to the Romford police station where they told us what they had found. We then had to watch through the window as they brought her in to the station. Kathlyn

Headline in this weeks sunday paper N of the W Triple Child Killer Out in Weeks monster who implaled victims on railings is up for parole, All i can say is would you want him as your neighbour dont think so, but hey he served his time and paid for his crimes NOT Lilxx

They would deserve the death penalty, BUT, with so many miscarriages of justice we are hearing about !!!!!!!! They should have a life sentence thought. Lock em up and throw away the key. BUT, they should not be kept in luxury, make them work, and I do mean work to earn their keep, as it is the likes of you and me that has to pay for them in prison. Too much effort is placed on the 'human rights' of murderers, or any toe rag for that matter, and not enough on the family of the person who has died. Maybe they could give the rellies just 5 mins in a closed space with them.!!!!!!!! I have experienced a murder in the family, when my 6 year old step-daughter, who we had custody of because we had proved the instability of the natural mother. The mother applied for, and got, even though we had proved her instability, access to the child. To put it in a nutshell, she drowned the child in the bath. She was sentenced to life, but is walking around, free. Kathlyn

I am very strongly against the death penalty - it doesn't bring the murdered person back. Jay

ITS MAKE A SICK KILLER HAPPY DAY lets have whip round for ian huntley all your old pills dig deep keep them coming clean the cupboards out even the odd pill down back of the sofa put them in a bag send them to him now that means even you never mind thinking of yourself get that pill in the bag you wont miss it honest now its a good cause get it in dig deep look your dog wont miss the odd bob martins in the bag XXX

Theres a lot more evidence with DNA , Yea mistakes are made which is sad, but 99% of the time they are quilty, Lilxx

by agreeing to the death penalty for premeditated murder child murder ect i feel manslaughter should maybe looked at in a different light

The death penalty. For every muderer off this planet an innocent person can live peacefully. It seems 'they' have more rights than law abiding folk.

I dont understand why killers are sent to prison and then...GIVEN RIGHTS! They have access to colour tellys....can decorate thier cells..have 'free time' Gyms/swimming/....so on n so on.....I dont have these rights! I have to work for them! Take a look at our dirty city streets (London) Pensioners that can no longer take care of thier gardens! Low paid cleaners of the NHS!..Our Hospitals are filthy! Victorian sewers! Road building (this could help us tax payers) All those jobs no one else wants to do....make THEM do it! ....and if they have mistreated someones child....GIVE THEM 10 MINS with the parents.... I do not believe in the death penalty, I am NOT a murderer....I believe they should spend the rest of thier life repaying society for thier wrong doing.....NOT molicuddled for a few years and then released...Life should mean LIFE! Gerri.

It seems strange to me that it is assumed that bringing back the death penalty would be any sort of a deterrent.If it were so then many of the US States ought to be crime free!!! Looking back through history shows us how, when the death penalty was the norm, life was certainly valued less. I have several ancestors on my tree who were executed; some hanged, some beheaded and at least one hung, drawn and quartered. Our prisons are overflowing because society has not yet found better ways to deal with those who are mentally ill or whose crimes ought to be punished by making them work to undo some of the damage done. I believe that only criminals who are a danger to society should be in prison and that those who have committed terrible crimes should be locked away for life with no possibility of release unless they are later proved to be wrongly accused. Killing other human beings in the name of justice makes us murderers too. If someone hurt a loved one of mine then I might feel the need for vengeance but it wouldn't be right. It also gives the guilty an easy option.......years and years of being in prison should be the more unpleasant alternative for them. We've had similar debates to this on this board before and it always leads to strong feelings because I don't suppose this is ever a subject anyone can feel apathetic about! Sue

off to bed night night joy xxx