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First of all if you oppose capital punishment, then this is an exercise in futility, however, if you are willing to consider it on a case by case basis for particularly heinous crimes then it may be a go.
1. This clemency petition states that Mr. Stanley "tookie" Williams has been redeemed, and/or atoned for his crimes because he wrote children's' books, as well as works with current troubled youth. -First of all, if Mr. Williams were an innocent man, then what does he have to atone for? What redemption is gained without first admitting guilt. No, Mr. Williams to this day denies that he committed this crime. He expresses no remorse, or apology. -His work to "save kids" is laudable, however, if he were truly trying to prevent gang activity, he would have named names and given the lowdown as to what he knows, even if this information is somewhat outdated now, it could open new leads, and actually help bring the gang down, not just keep one or two kids from entering it.
2. Mr Williams claims that the prosecutor was bigoted.. - Well, you know what? He may well have been. But what does that add to the case, nothing, ANY prosecuting attorney will exclude, or attempt to exclude ANY juror that he feels may have to much sympathy with the defendant. If he didn't do that, then he wouldn't be doing his job would he. - Mr Williams, has further stated that he was convicted and sentenced by an all white jury. Not TRUE at all. Even before the defense knew that the death certificate of one of the jurors identified him as black, that there was a filipino and hispanic woman on the jury. So they outright lied? Why would they do that? to garner public support and create a rallying call, regardless of how false it is. But if he is truly innocent, shouldn't there be more to go by than a false rallying call? -He cries racism, but what is it, but racism to state that a jury made of multi racial backgrounds could not give Mr Williams a fair trial?
3. The tookie cookies, state that the evidence used to convict Mr. Williams was all circumstancial.. -Most evidence (it is not all CSI..esp back in the early 80s) in most cases is circumstancial..(Scott Peterson, anyone), but it does not make him any less guilty. The murder weapon that was used, was bought and paid for in his name. He states that the weapon was found under another couples bed...what he leaves out was that he lived with that couple..(minor detail, right)...
4. The tookie cookies state the defense based its case on the testimony of one individual -That is incorrect, and you can see it in the court transcripts, that there were many who testified against Mr. Williams, the prosecution also had a handwriting analysis done of the note that Mr. Williams wrote, and he verified that he indeed write...
5. Mr Williams conviction and sentence has stood up to every legal challenge that they have thrown at it. In the 9th Circuit Court, of all places...Every time an appeal was defeated he adopted a new camouflage, IAC, failed... mental incapacity failed,...esculpatory evidence denied entry..failed and the latest...biased jury..failed. His ever changing tiger stripes only further leads me to believe in his guilt, and highlights his interest in merely saving himself...
6 Which leads me to this...His sudden turnaround, new found redemption..blah blah..is only the latest in his attempts to get away with the crime. It is nothing more than a publicity stunt, trying to draw attention to his "cause" which, unfortunately has paid off for him...as I said earlier, if he was truly repentant, he would turn over the names of gang members that he knows and work on destroying the gang itself. Which he doesn't.
7. He claims this adds to his character, it shows me that he is simply a character actor. Mr williams is not the victim in this case, there are 4 innocent people, one family almost wiped out save a brother, and a father who was working another job as a clerk so that he could afford to get custody of his daughters.
8. Mr. Williams should no more be given clemency than should Scott Peterson, another man convicted of murder on highly circumstantial evidence. But, I doubt that we will see the public uproar to save ole Scott, much like we didn't see it save Mr. Beardslee.
9. If Mr. Williams, would at the very least admit the crimes, and apologize for them, then I may be more inclined to allow clemency, and for his testimony to children to be weighed as something useful in their lives, as it stands, it only goes to show that you can in fact, get away with murder.
10. It has been stated that executing Mr Williams will not bring the victims back, no it won't. It will do nothing more than carry out the sentence that a 12 person jury unanimously decided was appropriate punishment for the crime that they unanimously convicted him of. He has had due process, and the conviction, and sentence has stuck. His guilt to my satisfaction, has been established more than beyond a reasonable doubt.
Is execution vengeance? possibly, I have stated this before. But what is life without parole, if not vengeance? What is a punishment for a crime if it is inflicting of loss upon the murderer. He should lose the same thing that he has taken from 4 innocents.
If he has truly repented, then when he dies, he goes to whatever God he subscribes to and will be judged by him, either forgiven or damned...if he has repented, then forgiveness is his and he has nothing to fear.
truncated for time
id write more, but have to go..
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