I think we should commute death sentences for killers who turn out to be nice people after all. But ulitmately I agree that such decisions are so arbitrary they belong to the Chief Commuter–the governor or whoever.
If you want a great debate, I’m wondering if the tougher thing to debate is this:
Dr Smith is a nasty asshole who kills in cold blood. He’s pretty close to discovering a cure and his colleagues testify that his ongoing participation in the research is likely to help all mankind.
What if he escapes from a prison transport, then heads back to his hometown to unravel the conspiracy that framed him for his wife’s murder?
But seriously, I’m no fan of the death penalty, but someone walking for a double murder after 10 years in the can is just unacceptable. Whether this person solved cancer or can bake a really mean souffle is completely irrelevant to me.
I understand the premise are free or die.
I know that if someone committed a capital crime, then cured cancer, then was caught, I would not expect to say he should skate. Unfortunately, I am of the opinion that this should not change if he was convicted and sentenced before curing cancer. This is a hypothetical for me, since I don’t necessarily support capital punishment.
I’m sure the President of the United States could provide the Governor of Texas with some incentives to feel the warmth of mercy in his heart should Mr. Governor be overly Texan about frying the doc, though.
Try inverting the order of events. The doctor discovers a cure for cancer, then commits murder and is sentenced to death. Does that influence your decision? If so, why?
I’m going to have to say let him walk. Chances are that he won’t ever kill another person, and the cure for cancer is something that would be pardon-worthy, in my own opinion.
The lives saved by a cure for cancer would number in the millions, and would far out-weigh the lives of one or two who are already dead (neither the death nor continued imprisonment of the doctor will bring them back to life).
So by curing cancer, he would have earned forgiveness–maybe not from the families of the victims, but certainly from society overall. Forgiveness is exactly what a pardon is. Killing a doctor with that level of talent would be doing society far more harm than any perceived good of punishment–which is far more about vengeance than it is about any actual justice.
There are a couple of problems with the OP, I live in Houston TX, which by some measures is the Death Penalty Capitol of the world or more exactly Harris County.
Capital Murder does not apply, this was a crime of passion.
He would not walk as we have life without parole, no way he is getting a pardon, neither the Board of Pardons and Paroles or the Guv would do this. It would be political suicide
Generally they only parties that get the drip don’t have a good defense ie. They are poor.
In the Hypothetical, I’d say let him go. But this would be determined more by him not being a threat, and the murders being a one off than anything else.
But the Govenor or whatever doesn’t need a “reason” to commute or provide a pardon right? Isn’t it his call?
To release a murderer based on “service to mankind” seems a dangerous and slippery slope to go down.
I’d say a far more interesting hypothetical would be if BTK found the cure.
Or if we could look into the future, and KNOW that this guy would cure cancer, would you let him commit one murder a month?
After all, one death a month is nothing compared to people he is going to save, why, you could even choose people that were already on death row!
Is this the same Dr Smith who messed up the Robinsons’ chances of safe return from space? The, “Oh, the pain” dude? I’d verify the cancer cure claims if that is the case. He isn’t trustworthy, from what I’ve seen.
I only want to kill one (maybe two) person(s). How many lives do I need save to get away with that? Is saving one stalled school bus full of children on the railroad tracks enough? What about rescuing kids from a burning orphanage?
My life really isn’t that exciting, but I do recycle and carpool. Is that worth anything? Can I get away with some felonies at least? Is there a list somewhere of how much good for humanity you can do to get out of jail time?
Start by following the directions here or here. You’ll be amazed at the jail time you can dodge! Here and here are related lists of how much good it’ll take you…
I see your point though, and IMO, that’s why the commutation/pardon power was created. And if you look at who lately gets pardoned, I think it dovetails with my first lines.