Tuesday, October 09, 2007

 

My Day

Got up at 4:30 to drive my father to the hospital for a knee replacement; watched the series of humiliations he had to undergo to get ready for the surgery. Left the hospital at 7:30 as they wheeled him into the surgery. Drove over to work and did some, like probably kissing off a settlement I guess I only thought I made.

Then we walked over to the Capitol to meet with the State Senate Majority Leader, Ken Gordon, my state senator, to try to get some much needed but minor changes in the law; and he was helpful but we felt we may be butting our heads against the figurative wall. Received a call from the surgeon saying it went well and my father was in the recovery room. Then went to a settlement conference where my client, faced with a low settlement or most likely nothing, chose nothing. I'm nothing if not client control.

Then I visited my dad in the hospital and he seems great, glad it's over, in no pain. Sounds good to me. Of course the hard part is coming. As I left I spotted and waived to the Governor, ex DA friend Bill Ritter, who waived back and called out my name. Good to be on good terms with the Governor.

When I got home I read the paper including a very unfair article about law school buddy Carol Chambers, who is married to ex DA friend Nate, and is the current DA of Arapahoe County, et al. The article quoted the Public Defender and another guy opposed to the death penalty as the only support for the stories lead that Carol is seeking the death penalty for political reasons (a very scurrilous charge and false, absolutely false) and not because the guys deserve the death penalty. Below are the thumbnail sketches from the article of the alleged murders for which she's seeking the death penalty. Tell me if you think she's being too harsh.

• Sir Mario Owens and Robert Keith Ray: Charged with killing Javad Marshall-Fields and Vivian Wolfe in June 2005. Marshall-Fields was set to testify against Owens and Ray in the murder of Gregory Vann.

• David Bueno and Alejandro Perez: Charged with the stabbing death of fellow inmate Jeffrey Heird at the Limon Correctional Facility.

• Edward Montour: Sentenced to death in 2002 for killing prison guard Eric Autobee while serving a life sentence for the murder of his daughter. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the district court this year for a new sentencing hearing, saying a jury - not the judge - should have sentenced him to death.

• Jose Luis Rubi-Nava: Charged with the 2006 dragging death of his girlfriend, 49-year-old Luz Maria Franco Fierros.

Carol is doing 6 of the 7 curently pending death penalty cases. Sounds to me like she's doing her job. You go, woman.

Labels:


Comments:
The only problem I have with the death penalty for any of those is that it has already taken way too long.
 
Doug, you have a point...one which has led me to NOT be a believer in the death penalty. The death penalty is absolutely not a deterrent to crimnals in the USA. Were it exacted at the time of sentencing, then maybe it would be. I personally believe, that if hardcore murderers knew that they were bound for a lifetime of cracking rocks in the Arizona desert, until they dropped dead, that would be much more of a deterrent than death.
 
Whtaever your view on the death penalty may be--personally I am against it--there is a reason why there are more death penaltyies cases in the 18th Judicial District than anywhere else.

It is a matter of both demographics and population.

The 18th JD contains both Arapahoe and Douglas Counties (Elbert and Lincoln also I seem to recall) and those are two of the most populous counties in CO. Much of Aurora, a cityt that has crime problems, is located in Arapahoe Co.
 
Roger,

glad to hear your pop is doing good.
 
"The death penalty is absolutely not a deterrent to crimnals in the USA."

I don't think the research bears that out, but I also don't much care. There is value to retribution; it is good that justice be done and be seen to be done. Also, there is value in having a penalty greater than life in prison for those already serving life in prison, for the particularly depraved, and for organized criminals. (Please take a look at the list of cases Roger presented.)
 
Mark, he death penalty is a deterrant. I can absolutely guarantee you that an executed killer will never kill anyone again. Thanks for the comment on my dad. He's good, but a little confused today. Could be the pain meds.
 
Hey Roger, glad to hear your father is doing well. Wish him a speedy recovery for me. Please ask your Mom not to hang up on me the next time I call the house trying to reach Alex. Thanks
 
Anon, OK, but it's not as if she's doing it on purpose.
 
Rog,

I mean more of a deterrent to not commit the crime to begin with....the needle is not making murderers second guess their potential action......IMHO.
 
Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?