Haugen's execution date set (OR)

[struggle4progress]

Judge rules inmate is mentally competent to drop his appeals, and tentatively sets date for lethal injection in December
2:49 AM, Oct. 8, 2011

Written by
Alan Gustafson
Statesman Journal

... A Marion County judge on Friday cleared the way for the execution of Oregon death row inmate Gary Haugen, deeming him mentally competent to drop his appeals and legally sane to be put to death.

Lethal-injection execution of the 49-year-old twice-convicted murderer tentatively is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.

If carried through, the execution will be the state's first in 14 years.

Circuit Judge Joseph Guimond said he intends to sign Haugen's death warrant soon, officially authorizing the execution ...

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20111008/NEWS/110080315/Haugen-s-execution-date-set?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

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[LAGC]

1. I'm a little torn on this one.

While I'm generally against the Death Penalty in principle because its so expensive and mistakes can and have been made, I don't have as big of problem with euthanasia, where a condemned convict admits his guilt and realizes there's no point in living the rest of his life out in prison and actually wants to die and the state helps put him out of his misery.

Really, that's the only time executions should be allowed. Prisoners who insist on their innocence or would rather just live out their natural lives in prison should be taken off Death Row and their sentences commuted to LWOP (Life Without Opportunity for Parole) so that they can try to prove their innocence to the very end.