Court rejects death penalty for raping children

I disagree with the Supreme Court on this one. Raping a child is the lowest of the low.

when you rape a child they should feed you to dog's

I am of the opinion that the death penalty should be given only in those instances when life in prison isn't enough to protect people - I'm very Catholic in that sense. No amount of punishment will change the past or the damage that has been done, and I am not a fan of revenge driving our justice system.

I'm of the opinion that they should be put do death as I would prefer not to house, cloth and feed these people for the rest of their lives. And maybe "No amount of punishment will change the past or the damage that has been done" but it can prevent it from happening again as is most likely if they do get out of prison.

Guess they have never had a child that was abused.
We live in a society that allows people instant gratification and has no consequences for doing whatever they please whenever they want. Life is a free-for-all and one big party, and the honest and hardworking are at the brunt of it. So it seems are innocent children.

I guess they have never had a child harmed at the hands of another.
We live in a society of instant gratification with no consequences for doing whatever you want whenever you please. The honest and hardworking, God Fearing people are at the brunt of a big free-for-all. It seems our innocent children are there also. I agree with "zlogic" put my taxes to work doing good, not supporting those who cannot be redeemed.

The execution ruling is pretty arbitrary. If executions are allowed at all then which crimes can they execute some for committing? They say it's not "proportional", but did they give any guidance on how to even make a comparison between a crime and a punishment?

The Supreme Court should either end the death penalty completely or they should declare exactly which crimes call for it. This ruling doesn't help.

"cruel and unusual punishment".

Well let's see... was what they did (do) to those child(ren) cruel and unusual punishment? Yes.

So, someone thinks that American taxpayers (you & me) should continue to pay for them.. till... when.. they die?... are released.. (to do this again)?????? The statistics show that they (people convicted of raping a child) NEVER stop.

They are not cured, they do not see the PERMANENT scars they leave and will continue to attack children!!

Wake up America!!! These people have forfeited their rights (by not following the law & common sense) yet we are expected to grant them an easy time after their conviction of a crime.

(Please note I am referring to the actual attack of a child, not the cases that some 18yr has been dating a 16yr. That should be dealt with on a different level. Yes people their is a difference even if we don't want to see it.)

As a Survivor of Sexual Molestation I disagree 100% with the Supreme Court's decision. I wish I would have been able to testify before the Supreme Court on this issue, I could tell them of what life is like for a Survivor Of Sexual Abuse long after the abuser is out of the picture (the abuser often is never out of the picture totally as the abuser will often threaten suicide to get the abused to bond to the abuser, a kind of Helsinki Syndrome). I am a Survivor whose Abuser also abused my other two siblings, this changed our lives forever, and not for the better. At an early age I became a borderline alcoholic, I drank to drown out the abuse. After that, I would try anything to get those feelings of degradation to subside. I went into the U.S. Army thinking that the regimentation of service would preoccupy my mind, and was discharged nine months later under a Chapter 5 Section 13 discharge, Personality Disorder due stress, all service did was strengthen my already harbored hatred and focus my rage. I was advised to seek psychological help immediately after discharge. I did, and was denied the help the first time out due to having no insurance. Then, two years later came total breakdown and a lapse in reality. I drank heavily to drown out the pain I was feeling, as well as the feelings of guilt, degradation, and rage. I could not (and still cannot to this day look at myself in the mirror without feeling some rage and feelings that I was lower than others). I constantly threw myself at relationships that never worked out and befriended those who were on society's fringe. All the while feeling that I was no longer alive. I attempted suicide thinking that there was no hope for me, that the pain and suffering would only get worse (at the time I was residing with my abuser and his girlfriend, being treated like a dog). Even now, I am prescribed heavy anti-psychotics and anti-depressives, and I see a Psychotherapist at least once a month. I have been hospitalized many times and have been poisoned twice, yet the feelings remain. The man that abused me also abused my brother and sister sexually as well as emotionally, physically, and mentally. The abuser was never brought to trail either criminal or civil. He has lived a "charmed life" always having a new vehicle when he needed it, having several businesses that were profitable, success at being a Vocational School teacher for more than twenty years, and never being without anything when he wanted it. All this while the three children he abused grew up into maladjusted existences, always scraping to get by. We never even get an "I am sorry for messing you up." All we get from the abuser is, "They asked for it." He always refers to the abuse that he perpetrated as if we went to him and asked to be abused.

Wow Adam you must feel really good about yourself. I don't want my money used....." That's great next time a child tells me of their real life woes. I'll tell her that your money doesn't want to know about it. That's BS about spending more money to put them to death.

We the people...
Ever seen it or heard it? Americans are no longer running their country. Read your constitution and know what your rights are.

We the people have a right to make the laws and how their are enforced and implemented. We need to start acting like this is our country again and stop letting politicians run it how they see fit.

POWER to the PEOPLE!
Protect our children!!!!!!

The LIBERALS did it again. We do not need any more of these judges. Even other prisoners do not think much of these low lifes because they are often killed in prison anyway. Life in prison these days often means after 10- 15 yrs they are set free to rape again. There should be no such thing as a second chance for these people -they are not redeemable.

What does one do when the prisons are absolutely full (as many are today) and you have to either release a child molester and a murderer? What happens when prisons are filled up? Life in prison is generally a twenty-five year stretch, not to be confused with "Natural Life" which is the rest of one's life in prison. So, Adam, who would you release as a member of a parole board, the child molester or the murderer? Even with the system of alerting for five miles around where a molester decides to reside after his "Life Sentence" is commuted to mere years or months before he or she is paroled? I think that Sexual Offender ex-Cons should be set up in a facility out of the normal prison system upon release, out in a desolate area that is so far off the beaten path that they are never seen again. This place should have sensors on the parimeter that emit to the ex-con a shock of low volts to detur their escape from this area, and that is where they should spend their lives, away from society.

No, you cannot reform a habitual molester. I wonder if Adam really knows anything about child molestation....It seems that he is nieve when he says that this is not an emotional issue, when it is! The molested pay for it emotionally for the rest of their lives, in the fact that most molestation survivors have stunted emotional growth! I also wonder if Adam really knows anything about how much it costs the tax payers to house these miscreants for the rest of their lives in prison, the figures are astronomical! It also costs the tax payer for these deviants to be monitored after they are paroled (think about the price it takes to have a house arrest bracelet tagged on them and police monitoring them for the rest of their parole. I can assure you that it is not "chump change". Mostly, the offender will never, and I mean ever, recover fully from the actions of the molester. There is no dollar amount of reparations that can ever be repaid to persons such as myself to recover their lives.
Adam, I riddle you this, "What would you rather if someone molested your child? Have him tried and put to death so that he or she may never do such things to any other children in the future, or, have him or her placed in prison for "Life" (remember, "Life" is only approximately 25 years and often less) and get out to do it again to someone else's child? Adam, you should not speak on things that you have never experienced.

Wow again, Adam, I think you miss the point. If I wanted revenge (IE being the mother or part of an angry mob.. I shoot the SOB) but you are saying that the act of rape of a child is not cruel & unusual? "Cruel and unusual punishment" is not lethal injection. I did not say torture..Don't put words in my mouth! I can think that, but what I expect from MY government is they protect it's citizens and since I think the fact that these people have broken (the lowest of the low) law that they have CHOSEN to not be represented my the term citizen. hey have knowingly broken the law! Not being put to death when you have destroyed a child's life is cruel & unusual for the victim.

You really think that OUR forefathers thought that rape of a child was OK?? Or that they wouldn't put them to death???? WRONG!

This is a VERY emotional issue!

I think .35 for a bullet in my gun is the way to go, but hey that's revenge!

According to recent studies, and these aired on Discovery Channel not more than five months ago and was hosted by Hugh Downs, our prisons are full and about to crack. From the day a new "fish" enters into prison he is introduced to the ways of the prison, and is documented on gang affiliations by the officers. Within the context of "Non-Violent Drug Offenders", these men are more often than not affiliated with gangs that do cause violence and have the propensity for violence. What you call "Non-Violent Drug Offenders" have made many lives miserable and victimized many people by plaguing this country with drugs and gangs, so would you call it "Non-Violent" when so many of these offenders are violent in the fact that they either deal or manufacture these poisons in our society.
Despite the warnings, two states - South Carolina and Oklahoma - this summer enacted laws that allow repeat child sex offenders to be put to death. They join Louisiana, Florida, and Montana, which already have similar laws on their books.One inmate in Louisiana, however, currently sits on death row for raping a child.But if the state of Louisiana has its way, convicted child rapist Patrick O. Kennedy would become the first inmate in more than four decades to be executed for a crime in which the victim wasn't killed. The state supreme court is expected to decide Kennedy's fate this year.
The Following Web Page Is The Actual LA Laws on Child Molestation, keep in mind that Louisiana has the strongest Child Molestation Laws In The United States. Here is some advice go to law.justia.com
There you can do a search for the exact statutes on child molestation, sexual battery, aggravated sexual battery, forcible rape, ect.

LA RS 14:81.2
Whoever commits the crime of molestation of a juvenile shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than one nor more than ten years, or both, provided that the defendant shall not be eligible to have his conviction set aside or his prosecution dismissed in accordance with the provisions of Code of Criminal Procedure Article 893.

Whoever commits the crime of molestation of a juvenile when the offender has control or supervision over the juvenile shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than one nor more than twenty years, or both, provided that the defendant shall not be eligible to have his conviction set aside or his prosecution dismissed in accordance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article 893.

(1) Whoever commits the crime of molestation of a juvenile when the incidents of molestation recur during a period of more than one year shall, on first conviction, be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than five nor more than forty years, or both. At least five years of the sentence imposed shall be without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. After five years of the sentence have been served, the offender, who is otherwise eligible, may be eligible for parole if a licensed psychologist or a licensed clinical social worker or a board-certified psychiatrist, after psychological examination, including testing, approves.

(2) Conditions of parole shall include treatment in a qualified sex offender program for a minimum of five years, or until expiration of sentence, whichever comes first. The state shall be responsible for the cost of testing but the offender shall be responsible for the cost of the treatment program. It shall also be a condition of parole that the offender be prohibited from being alone with a child without the supervision of another adult.

(3) For purposes of this Subsection, a "qualified sex offender program" means one which includes both group and individual therapy and arousal reconditioning. Group therapy shall be conducted by two therapists, one male and one female, at least one of whom is licensed as a psychologist or is board certified as a psychiatrist or clinical social worker.

(4) Repealed by Acts 2006, No. 36, §2.

E.(1) Whoever commits the crime of molestation of a juvenile when the victim is under the age of thirteen years shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than twenty-five years nor more than life imprisonment. At least twenty-five years of the sentence imposed shall be served without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

(2) Upon completion of the term of imprisonment imposed in accordance with Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the offender shall be monitored by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections through the use of electronic monitoring equipment for the remainder of his natural life.

(3) Unless it is determined by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, pursuant to rules adopted in accordance with the provisions of this Subsection, that a sexual offender is unable to pay all or any portion of such costs, each sexual offender to be electronically monitored shall pay the cost of such monitoring.

(4) The costs attributable to the electronic monitoring of an offender who has been determined unable to pay shall be borne by the department if, and only to, the degree that sufficient funds are made available for such purpose whether by appropriation of state funds or from any other source.

(5) The Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall develop, adopt, and promulgate rules in the manner provided in the Administrative Procedure Act that provide for the payment of such costs. Such rules shall contain specific guidelines which shall be used to determine the ability of the offender to pay the required costs and shall establish the reasonable costs to be charged. Such rules may provide for a sliding scale of payment so that an offender who is able to pay a portion, but not all, of such costs may be required to pay such portion.

Acts 1984, No. 220, §1; Acts 1990, No. 590, §1; Acts 1991, No. 925, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1309, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2000; Acts 2006, No. 36, §§1, 2; Acts 2006, No. 103, §1; Acts 2006, No. 325, §2.

This is just the law on Child Molestation. As one can see there are steep penalties for such offenders. The new Govenor of Louisiana, Bobby Jendal is pushing to make these laws even stricter. The legislature is on the verge of approving a bill that would allow for Chemical Castration of sex offenders in the State Of Louisiana.

Actually, Adam, I asked you a question???? that's want this ? symbol means.

Again I was asked you a question about your understanding of history. Albeit a outraged question but still a question.

ADAM— "No, it's not. It may not make you happy, but killing the rapist will not make things better. Killing the rapist will not undo what he did. The job of the government is to prevent it from happening again, not to kill the person who did it in a blind attempt to satisfy the victims or the victims families. "

No I don't like it. I think that's fairly obvious, but it is the taking of a life. You may not see that point of view (and unfortunately I can see your point), but it is the taking of that child's LIFE!!

I think maybe I didn't write things how they sounded in my head, but I see that many people on this "thread" understand my feelings and are expressing them just fine. Maybe my arguments sounded too emotional for some of you, but we do have a legal standpoint for this point of view, just as you do yours. I won't ever agree with you, as you will probably never agree with me, but I still hope that AMERICANS take back their government and country. We, ALL of us, are losing.

"Non-Violent Drug Offender" is a myth. One must think of how much violence was incurred getting the drugs to the suppliers in the United States, how many people get harmed when the dealer (or the organization to which said dealer belongs) gets the product to the person on the street. Then calculate how many users will use violence on Officers Of The Law to protect their use. Meth, crack, cocaine, heroine, prescription drugs, weed, you call all of this "Non-Violent" when most of these drugs are the root cause of so much blood being spilt on American Streets. Adam, your point on the appeals process is moot as Every Prisoner, no matter how little or much time he or she is imprisoned for is granted three appeals by the constitution. So, we cannot ride on that point due to the fact that it is Constitutional. Prisoners whom have a "Public Defender" (payed for by tax dollars) most often get attorneys that won't get anything accomplished as most "Public Defenders" are "yes men" to the court. Most prisoners whom are "Long-Timers" often either research the laws to file appeals themselves, or find "jail house attorneys" which have studied the law and help the prisoner file the proper appeals that "Public Defenders" do not have the time to file.
So, throw those dollars in with what the tax payer pay to feed, house, and clothe the prisoners and your idea of building more prisons is also moot. Now, back to the topic at hand, Child Molesters and the Death Penalty. There is a study out that state (and I am paraphrasing) "roughly 75% of all sexual predators cannot be rehabilitated, they tend to be repeat offenders". So, just like Drug Offenders (note that I left the non-violent part out here), sexual offenders are almost incurable. Even if Chemical Castration is used, the offender may offend utilizing objects such as: sex toys, fruits and vegetables, and other parts of their anatomy to offend again. So, you propose that we put the offender in prison for life, this is ineffectual as it will cost more in the long run for food, housing, counseling, clothing, showering, hiring more guards, and the building of more prisons to ease the overpopulation problem that most prisons in the United States suffer from already. As a matter of fact there are most often five prisoners to a two man cell, and the larger prisons have to use other spaces as blocks for as many as fifty or more men. With that type of dynamic, the violence that is in prisons already has more than tripled. Gangs are more prevalent, and more violent, on the inside than on the outside and a "fish" must know how to swim or die trying. Besides all of that, are you suggesting Adam that we build prisons that will eventually end up on the very edge of our metropolitan areas? Or do you propose we start building prisons more vertical, possibly sky-scraper prisons? Or into our beautiful mountains, underground prisons? What is your suggestion Adam? The normal prison structure is ineffectual at keeping violence from your "non-violent offender" buddies. Most of these "non-violent" drug offenders use prison like an academy, the go in with a Bachelors Degree in one drug, and come out with a Masters Degree in another. More often than not they go in "non-violent" and come out knowing how to pull off acts of violence that makes Adolf Hitler appear like an angel by comparison.

Adam, look at the Louisiana penalties for child molestation carefully and understand that one, or more, parts of the statutes apply to most sex offenders. Then add the sentences up and you will find that, in most cases,
after the sentences are added the offender is serving LIFE...

Whoever commits the crime of molestation of a juvenile when the offender has control or supervision over the juvenile shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than one nor more than twenty years, or both, provided that the defendant shall not be eligible to have his conviction set aside or his prosecution dismissed in accordance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article 893.

(1) Whoever commits the crime of molestation of a juvenile when the incidents of molestation recur during a period of more than one year shall, on first conviction, be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than five nor more than forty years, or both. At least five years of the sentence imposed shall be without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. After five years of the sentence have been served, the offender, who is otherwise eligible, may be eligible for parole if a licensed psychologist or a licensed clinical social worker or a board-certified psychiatrist, after psychological examination, including testing, approves.

.(1) Whoever commits the crime of molestation of a juvenile when the victim is under the age of thirteen years shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than twenty-five years nor more than life imprisonment. At least twenty-five years of the sentence imposed shall be served without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

Adam writes-"At what point did we decide that killing someone is civilized? Again, this isn't about whether what that person did was civilized or whether they should be punished. The question is whether killing them is justified and whether that is a power that our government should have. I don't like the fact that so many people believe our government should have the power to take lives. "

I'm fairly sure that our constitution has given the states the right to put a person to death. That's a simple fact. What is on topic here is when is that "appropriate".

Now, I say that child rape is an appropriate crime to use the death penalty. You, Adam, disagree. This is the part where we debate it and then take those stances before a judge. That judge makes a ruling, then another....until it made it to the highest court in the land.

The Supreme Court has made a ruling that agrees with you (5-4). I and many like me are here now stating that the Supreme Court has not really "seen" the issue. We are here explaining to you and the Supreme Court (we know they are not reading this) that they are not interpreting the Constitution in a way that we agree with.

We will continue to fight for this, our children, and many other causes:
1) We have that right.
2) Change can be made.
3) We are, you and me, the reason that this country was founded.

A government for the people, by the people. Can only survive if the people, all of them, stand up.
Thanks Adam for standing up for you cause, I don't agree but that is why we vote!

Nowhere in the Constitution does it state implicitly that the states or the Federal Government have the right to execute anyone for any crime, not even treason. This is a highly debatable subject. Again, NOWHERE IN THE CONSTITUTION IMPLICITLY GIVES EITHER THE STATES OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THE RIGHT TO EXECUTE IT"S CITIZENS. However, once someone enters into a penal facility, he is stripped of everything, even his name! He is given a number, and, he is provided clothes and bedding. One would argue that people in penal facilities are no longer citizens as they are stripped of the rights that the Constitution Provides save for a few.

OK once a again I tell you that we the people are the government! YOU ARE NOT LISTENING! We may not be the government now but it was founded BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE!!!!

We can make the decisions to put an person who has chosen to remain outside the laws of our country to DEATH. YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT BUT WE DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE THOSE LAWS.

A sentence to death was not cruel & unusual in the time that the Constitution was written, they did it by hanging, but you people don't see that!

They know the laws that we AS A CIVILIZED SOCIETY have given each person to live by!!! THEY broke those laws and we can use anything that WE agree on as a punishment!

AS I STATED BEFORE! YOU ARE NOT LISTENING! YOU MAY NOT SEE THAT AS AN ACCEPTABLE PUNISHMENT, BUT MANY OF US DO!!! WE CONSIDER THE RAPE OF A CHILD TO BE SO FAR UN-CIVILIZED THAT, THAT PERSON COULD/SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH.

I think if you have read this and previous posts that you will see that you are not listening and will not agree with this argument, just as I will not be agreeing wit yours. BUT we have that right to make those laws... the right to enforce them... and that is why we VOTE!

Only now is the time that we think of voting as for a candidate as our only means of getting what we what. The citizens made the laws, guided by some very great men (who were just regular citizens that took up the cry for freedom). But now we are wallowing in what has been left to us, buy the YEARS of professional politicians.

I thank you for the debate, but I am done discussing this with you. I will not change my mind, but I do hear your point. You it seems will not even listen.

Don't forget to vote!