by Howie Katz
Houston is not only getting an anti-gun nut and pro-sanctuary city police chief, but far worse, it is getting an uber-liberal district attorney who will all but abolish the death penalty in Harris County.
Reuters recently referred to Harris County as “the buckle on the ‘execution belt’ for sending more people to the death chamber than any other nationwide. “ The article reported changes were coming and quoted soon to be district attorney Kim Ogg as saying:
“Under an Ogg administration, you will see very few death penalty prosecutions.”
Despite arguments to the contrary, the death penalty does act as a deterrent to premeditated murders and murders committed during burglaries and robberies. The problem is that those sentenced to death linger on death rows for decades, leading murderers to believe that if they’re caught they will die of old age before being put to sleep by the state like a pet dog.
When I was a law enforcement officer back in the 1950s and 60s, convicted murderers could expect to sit down in an electric chair or gas chamber within a couple of years after they were sentenced to death. During those years we used to bust a lot of armed robbers who committed robberies while using unloaded guns. When asked why they used unloaded gun s, the reply almost every time went something like this:
“If I carry a loaded gun I might shoot someone in a moment of panic and I don’t want to get topped.”
“Topped” is con lingo for executed.
Being known as the “execution capital of the world” is nothing for Texas to be ashamed about and if Harris County is the buckle on the nation’s “execution belt,” that is something to brag about. Unfortunately, Kim Ogg will make sure that the buckle is broken.
Howie Katz is a former law enforcement officer and retired criminal justice professor. In 1969 he founded the Texas Narcotic Officers Association. He currently resides in Houston, Texas. You can see more of his writing at http://barkgrowlbite.blogspot.com and http://theunconventionalgazette.blogspot.com.
DA Ogg isn’t the first Harris County DA who has cut back on the number of death penalty trials. At least her last two Republican predecessors greatly reduced the number of death penalty trials. The reason is fairly simple: The alternative of life without parole.
Under Texas law, any adult convicted of capital murder dies in the pen. The only question is whether it is of old age or poison.
A non-death capital murder trial takes about a week. Death penalty trials often take months. The costs of death penalty litigation to the state are greater than the cost of keeping someone locked up for 40 or 50 years.
That’s why you are seeing fewer death penalties in Harris County and around the state.
Good response to this pointless post by Howie.
Agreed on both. Good response, and extremely pointless post.
Pointless? Yeah Skeptic, that is until you or one of your loved ones is killed by a coldblooded murderer.
Have you ever personally seen a murder victim at the crime scene or have you personally seen the suffering of the victims bereaved family? Well, I have dealt with a number of both and that’s why I am firmly in favor of the death penalty, the costs not withstanding. And that’s why I wrote this ‘pointless’ post.
The death penalty is pro choice and against God’s Will
Bert
Interesting comment. Can you provide supporting data for your pronouncement, or are we simply supposed to take your word for it? Who died and made you God’s personal mouthpiece?
You can thank a District Attorney who attacked ‘the’ family law conservative judge, and the rhino executive director of the H.C. Republican party for campaigning against ‘the’ family law conservative judge, and the people who wrote against her so they could advance their own political agendas. Not hard to tell who they are because so many of them ran for office after authoring articles about a judge they never met, in a courtroom they never visited, or campaigned against, while promoting someone who covered her firm’s walls with Obama paraphernalia and voted for him twice: Lief Olsen, Jolly, Paul Simpson, Devon Anderson, Valerie Swanson. Not to mention the spineless leaders of that party: 3 Riddles, Mark Ramsey, Bettencourt, Gary Polland, Terry Lowry, Ed Emmet. Any person that wanted to keep H.C. red should have stood firm for ‘the’ conservative family law judge. The county would have taken notice. You get what you deserve now.
Who is ‘the” judge and how does she relate to this article on the death penalty?
Truther1 is talking about Denise Pratt, who resigned in the midst of overwhelming claims of misconduct, including DWOPing 300+ cases without notice. Ed Hubbard wrote a great post here calling for her to quit. Of course she was a disciple of Hotze and his pay for play church, and his congregants are still bitter. What does this have to do with the death penalty? Nothing, but that’s to be expected from this bunch who care about nothing except ABORTION and GAYS.
Elections have consequences.
That’s why I “Open Carry” (Day 444) and don’t want to be a victim.
Howie,
While I am not opposed to the death penalty per se, I would have to say that at this point, I’m not a big fan either. The problem is simple.
In the past few years we have seen a growing collection of cases where either the cops, and/or the DA just got it wrong; or (more disturbingly) cases where the cops and/or the DA was venal or vindictive. Either way there is a chance for justice to go horribly awry. If the “criminal” has merely been languishing in a cell, society can set him free, apologize for the mistake and try to compensate for the lost years with a big check. But if we put an innocent person to death, how do we fix that mistake?
As for your question about a loved one being murdered. . . . my best friend was murdered some years ago. It was a horrible, brutal crime. At the time I would have happily executed the murderer personally – slowly and excruciatingly. He was sentenced to life in prison, and as far as I know, he’s still there. But, I can say from personal experience, that dealing with that kind of loss, at least for me, lay in the knowledge that the murderer had been caught, and convicted. I don’t think that watching him die would have helped.
Aside from that, our justice system is not based on retribution. And, on the balance, that’s probably a good thing.