# You're the juror. Does immediate execution affect your vote? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164 "2015-07-14T19:08:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/21 "2015-07-15T21:50:59Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Imagine you’re a juror on a crime for which the death penalty is a possibility. In the case of the death penalty being given, it is immediately applied. As in right there in the courtroom in front of you. Does that affect your Guilty / Not Guilty verdict? No, because I am opposed to the death penalty, therefore, even if I vote to convict the defendant I will not vote to kill him/her regardless of whether the execution will be sooner or later. ---
**Author:** ![Construct](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Construct](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Construct)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/22 "2015-07-15T22:11:38Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Everyone is pretty bad then. If you believe everyone deserves to die, I suppose believing everyone is pretty bad is a prerequisite. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Considering that a certain percentage of convictions are overturned on appeal, and that other people are then convicted of the same crime, would you want their to be a higher standard of proof before execution immediately after a first trial, or would you keep it the same? I would keep it the same. The world is dangerous, and one of the many dangers that exist is that the government accidentally execute citizens. This isn’t a particularly likely threat. Your post brings up a good point, however, which is that we have a de facto higher standard of guilt (than beyond a reasonable doubt) in death penalty cases due to automatic appeals and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/23 "2015-07-15T22:23:57Z")
Makes no difference what I believe or you believe. Maybe we move in different circles, but I rarely meet 200 year old ‘good’ people. ---
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/24 "2015-07-15T22:34:36Z")
It would not affect my vote. In a clear cut case, (and I can think of a few right here in my state), I’d have no problem with the execution being performed right then and there. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/25 "2015-07-15T23:16:08Z")
The only element that might change my vote is that I basically trust the current system to filter out any mistakes or oversights through appeals. I sometimes complain about how many appeals the current system gives, but everyone deserves some chance to appeal the verdict. Still, if my choice as a juror is guilty or not guilty, then I need to make that determination based on the facts. I’m not being asked to determine the punishment. The idea of seeing someone die in front of me is also not going to change my determination. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/26 "2015-07-16T02:33:11Z")
Q: Is there going to be a loud bug-zapper sizzle & pop? Will there be splatter? Then again the judge is wearing a convenient robe over all his/her fine clothes, so what does he/she care? ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/27 "2015-07-16T03:34:16Z")
It’s worth noting that this very scenario is deliberately avoided in most all modern Western civilizations. The judge is responsible for sentencing, normally including deciding on a death sentence or not. In cases where the jury gets to decide on a capital punishment it’s usually (always?) treated as a separate decision and deliberation from the determination of guilt. And it’s done this way for a very good reason. Those of you who claim it wouldn’t effect your decision of guilt are being woefully optimistic… ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/28 "2015-07-16T06:21:45Z")
If the Joker was caught red handed, in the act with zero doubt the nope it would bother me at all to say guilty, goodbye. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/29 "2015-07-16T14:26:56Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Then again the judge is wearing a convenient robe over all his/her fine clothes, so what does he/she care? Someone would probably make a tidy sum manufacturing waterproof judicial robes. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/30 "2015-07-16T15:40:50Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > It’s worth noting that this very scenario is deliberately avoided in most all modern Western civilizations. The judge is responsible for sentencing, normally including deciding on a death sentence or not. In cases where the jury gets to decide on a capital punishment it’s usually (always?) treated as a separate decision and deliberation from the determination of guilt. I don’t follow you. In this scenario the jury aren’t deciding whether or not to apply the death penalty; they’re there should it be applied. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/31 "2015-07-16T18:47:25Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Nope. And that’s a system I could get behind. The whole “ten years of appeals” is bullshit. What about the people who have been exonerated while on death row? Fuck 'em? I am opposed to the death penalty. I would not be more opposed if it happened in front of me. I think that people who are in favor of it, but who would not be willing to throw the switch themselves have some weird moral calculus going on, and should reexamine their beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/32 "2015-07-16T20:13:27Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > I’m for capital punishment, but have a crazy idea that one of the jurors gets to inject the drug, pull the trigger, flip the electrical switch, ect. If no one will do it, the sentence is commuted to life with no chance of parole. Raffle off the chance to do it, and defray the costs of the trial. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164/33 "2015-07-16T21:07:31Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Raffle off the chance to do it, and defray the costs of the trial. > > Regards, > Shodan ↑↑↑ This 😃 I’ll buy two. \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-juror-does-immediate-execution-affect-your-vote/725164.md?page=1)