# Why doesn't the federal death penalty move more swiftly?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-federal-death-penalty-move-more-swiftly/496061>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 11, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-federal-death-penalty-move-more-swiftly/496061 "2009-05-11T17:23:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-federal-death-penalty-move-more-swiftly/496061/21 "2009-05-13T13:08:29Z")

</div>

> [@Bartman](#):
>
> Yes.
> 
> See [Rees v. Peyton](http://supreme.justia.com/us/384/312/). In 1965 Melvin Rees tried to get, as you put it, a desired execution. His lawyer protested and got him declared incompetent. The case went through multiple series of appeals and was still in a state of appeal 30 years later when Rees died of natural causes in 1995.
> 
> My understanding is that competency hearings are pretty standard when a convict waives appeals. The assumption is that most sane people would not willingly choose death.

That’s scary and disgusting to be hijacked like that by the justice system. I can see not wanting to be 30 years rotting in death row taking showers with Spike and Tiny. If the system wants me dead, then kill me already. Toying with me for 30 years sounds a lot like cruel and unusual punishment.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-federal-death-penalty-move-more-swiftly/496061/22 "2009-05-13T13:24:33Z")

</div>

> [@Sapo](#):
>
> That’s scary and disgusting to be hijacked like that by the justice system. I can see not wanting to be 30 years rotting in death row taking showers with Spike and Tiny. If the system wants me dead, then kill me already. Toying with me for 30 years sounds a lot like cruel and unusual punishment.

True, but OTOH, maybe the fact that this defendant was not articulate enough over a 30 year period to convince a judge he was competent, was an actual indicator he wasn’t competent.

Also, the system isn’t really built to assist you to commit suicide rather than facing some other alternatives that you think are less pleasant. IOW, “kill me quickly and efficiently to carry out my sentence” is probably a better legal argument than “I’d rather die than be Spike and Tony’s prison bitch.”

Oh yeah, IANAL.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-federal-death-penalty-move-more-swiftly/496061.md?page=1)