death penalty vs. $$$

[t-keela]

I am trying to find info. regarding the financial status of convicts in the US who have been executed or are on Death Row.

Who was the most wealthy person to have been executed in relatively modern times? (The past century I guess)

Has there ever been a millionaire executed in this country in the past century/ever?

BTW, I do mean legal State/Federal government (prison) sanctioned executions for civilian criminal behavior.

Please NO assassinations, war crimes, espionage, CIA conspiracy type crap, etc...


Not really important for the OP but consider the following.

If (for example) Bill Gates (yes, I know it's an absurdity but use any extremely wealthy person you want) was videotaped and eyewitnessed by dozens of reputable citizens murdering a police officer and was not "insane" is there a chance in HELL that he would ever see death row?

I don't think so! Why? If he couldn't buy his way out completely, he would get a deal (plea bargain) for a secondary offense with minimal time and early parole possibility while resting in a luxury resort/prison.

I'm really looking for the facts. That's why it's here.
BUT
I know the last part is probably best for IMHO.
So, Mods do what you think is best. :) & thanks

[CurtC]

Crimes that get the death penalty are usually pretty heinous. If Bill Gates horribly murered someone, making their family watch or something extra-bad like that, I could see him getting death.

That, or if a bunch of Linux developers were on the jury.

[TaxGuy]

Um, why are you looking for facts when it seems you've already made up your mind about how you would interpret them?

[t-keela]

Interpret?

Either someone wealthy has been executed or not. Yes, I know wealthy is ill-defined at best. So, let's just say over $100K/year income or assests => $500K

As far as the Bill Gates scenario, that is a hypothetical pertaining to the Super Rich. Does a multi-millionaire/billionaire EVER face the death penalty or even tough sentencing ie:life w/out parole, multiple sentences etc.
I doubt it. Feel free to prove me wrong, please. :)

I have yet to find ANY gov. or private sites with stats. demographing the financial status of death row convicts. Those are the FACTS that I am seeking. I have numerous stats./figures on practically everything else but no actual data on income/assests/etc.

If anyone simply had the figures on any wealthy individuals on death row that'd help. I've found some cites that claim there has [B]NEVER[/] been a wealthy person executed in the US in over a hundred years. And any that were in the past were all revoultionist/traitors/military type deaths.

I know the US Justice system is flawed, while it may be better than some/most? it seems this may be reason enough to reconsider how capital punishment is applied.

I guess someone is now going to claim that rich people don't commit capital offenses?

Heinous = capital punishment, how about conspiracy to commit murder, perhaps multiple counts. Think no wealthy individuals have paid for the murder of another. Death row convicts haven't all committed "heinous" crimes.
I really wasn't trying to start a debate here. I really was just looking for some data. I figured somewhere there is a list of all the persons sentenced to death in the US. and a list with all the info. pertaining to each individual.

[bibliophage]

If you weren't trying to start a debate, you should have left the debatable parts out of your posts. Questions such as what would happen to Bill Gates if he commited murder, or the fairness of U.S. judicial system, are fodder for GD. The only General Question here is how rich the richest person executed was. Let's stick to that.

bibliophage
moderator GQ

[t-keela]

Sounds good to me :)

It doesn't look like that info. is forthcoming though.