Alito breaks tie, Kan. death penalty stays

[cal04]

New Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito broke a tie Monday to rule that Kansas' death penalty law is constitutional.

By a 5-to-4 vote, the justices said the Kansas Supreme Court incorrectly interpreted the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment to strike down the state's death penalty statute.

The Kansas court said the state's death penalty law improperly forced jurors to impose a capital sentence even if they believed that the prosecution and defense evidence were equal in weight.

But the justices disagreed. Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas disputed the claim by critics that the law created "a general presumption in favor of the death penalty in the state of Kansas."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060626/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_death_penalty

[benburch]

1. Let's ask the Church to excommunicate him.

Seems to me that the Catholic Church has a very definite opinion on murder...

[antonialee839]

3. I agree. The Church sure didn't have a problem bashing

John Kerry and any other pro choice Catholic politicians.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. But it didn't excommunicate Kerry either

[meow2u3]

15. I read that Kerry was already excommunicated for unrelated reasons

He divorced his first wife and then remarried Teresa Heinz Kerry. Trouble was, Kerry married his first wife in the Church and according to the rules of the Catholic Church, his divorce and remarriage rendered him automatically excommunicated until either the death of either his ex or his wife, or a divorce.

[karynnj]

16. The first marriage was annulled

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. Where did you read that?

[LostinVA]

8. They are against the death penalty, I know that

As MUCH as they are against abortion. There is no "higher morality" difference between the two.

[MetaTrope]

10. Didn't Ratzinger head the Holy Office of the Inquisition?

:shrug:

[bullimiami]

2. Culture of Life?

[saigon68]

5. Alito= A fundamentalist Nut Job in a position of POWER

NAH NAH TOLD YOU SO

[VegasWolf]

6. but, Hillary and our other "leaders" wanted to keep our powder dry! nt

[saigon68]

7. They did a fine job didn't they

</sarcasm>

[kath]

13. I'm so, SOOOO glad that the powder remained dry!

whew!

[jaysunb]

12. I second that "emotion"

I'm looking for the " I knew it thread "........:evilfrown:

[Charlie Brown]

9. if these "Catholics" can cite their beliefs to rule on abortion and gays

then they're pretty hypocritical to make this ruling.

[Maraya1969]

11. What is "constitutional" about the death penalty?

[Supersedeas]

14. it is wrong to suggest that Alito breaks any tie...he is part and parcel

of the four who will always vote along ultra-social conservative lines, namely:

Scalia, Roberts, Thomas and Alito....Kennedy will be your tie breaker in most cases, IMHO.

[cosmicdot]

17. "Justice David H. Souter, writing for the liberals..."

Does AP Scribe Gina Holland realize who makes up the SCOTUS?

the liberals?

John G. Roberts, Jr. - court-tainted by BFEE/Bu$h** via usurped power
Samuel A. Alito, Jr. - court-tainted by BFEE/Bu$h** via usurped power
David H. Souter - Poppy BFEE
Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Clinton
Antonin G. Scalia - Reagan
John Paul Stevens - appointed by never elected President Ford
Anthony M. Kennedy - Reagan
Stephen G. Breyer - Clinton
Clarence Thomas - Poppy BFEE

The 5-4 SCOTUS.

[coalition_unwilling]

18. This ruling means innocent people will be put to death.

If prosecution and defense evidence is equal in jurors' minds and they still find defendant "guilty," that's another way of saying that reasonable doubt might already exist or might come to exist in the future.

The only redeeming feature of Kansas, as far as I can tell, is Lawrence, KS and John Brown's raids on pro-slavery settlers.

[MagickMuffin]

20. It is now become apparent they are not Pro Life

The SC think they can determine who gets to live.

Fetuses' have more rights than the living.

Sad Sad Day in Kansas, and for other states that will ultimately be affected by this decision.

[okieinpain]

22. well I don't know about the others on kansas's death row, but I

just watched a show last night on the carr brothers. I'd put the needle in their arm with no problems.

[Odin2005]

21. Does this mean Scalito gets Excommunicated?

[saigon68]

23. scalito will rot in hell someday

A little evil troll of a man

[lonestarnot]

24. Fuck you Alito!