Supreme Court ends halt on executions

Posted: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:37 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Courts, Pete Williams

From NBC's Pete Williams
The US Supreme Court today ended a national moratorium on executions, upholding the constitutionality of the form of capital punishment used in nearly every state -- lethal injection.

The court's ruling was on a 7-2 vote, though different justices found different reasons for joining the opinion.

The two dissenters were Ginsburg and Souter.

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Comments

Let the killings beging...the legal ones sponsored by the states that is

Rick, NC (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:44 AM)

Now imagine if McWar gets to make 2 additional apointments. All the one issue voters should consider this as well

Dr.Strangedog, MI (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:45 AM)

I can't believe we still do this.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:45 AM)

It is wisdom, and justice, to protect society from vicious predators.

INNOCENT SOCIETY (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:46 AM)

Ginsburg and Souter. Two reasons we need at least two more replacements on the US Supreme Court. I'm sure these two would ultimately vote in favor of European law trumping US law. These are two justices we can do without.

Phil Collins (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:46 AM)

Well no surprise there!
They did say it was OK to share the needles, what the hell!

HP Boston (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:48 AM)

So we are now more like China...a country with capital punishment. The ten commandments state thou shall not kill. The bible says only God decides who lives and dies. So, guess the Supreme Court and those who support capital punishment are God? Capital punishment is wrong, period.

pat huntington ny (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:49 AM)

Its a sad thing when the US Government passes laws against citezens MURDERING other citezens and then goes and passes laws that allow States to kill people. We still live in the dark ages and have a long way to go to get out of them.....SAD...

Government should set example and get rid of capital punishment laws all together....Criminals can spend the rest of there live in jail for murder.... Government is sending the wrong message....The message should be not to kill, instead government is promoting killing by advocating capital punishment... This is a sad day in America..... The Supreme Court got it wrong....................Pathetic

James Tn (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:49 AM)

If McCain has his way we'll have a court who allows firing sqaud executions of anyone found to have supported a womens right to choose!

T (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:51 AM)

I think this is a good decision. I don't have a problem with the "form" of how the procedure is taken out, but I would like to see dna evidence more readily obtained and considered before capital punishment is administered. I feel that there are a lot of prisoners who are sent to death under false pretenses. We should know DEFINITELY without a doubt that the person has committed these heinous crimes before such punishment is executed.

K"Bitter"J, Dallas, TX (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:55 AM)

Unnamed sources claim the favorites of the Seven Pro-Death Justices were: #1. Drawing and Quartering #2. Burning at the Stake #3. Garrotting #4. Guillotine #5. Stoning #6.Hydrochloric Acidboarding #7. IED

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:56 AM)

K"Bitter"J, Dallas, TX (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:57 AM)

Uh oh... Bush may regret his Court appointments when he and Cheney are convicted of murder following their trial for crimes against humanity...

Amy B Portland, ME (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:00 AM)

Wonderful news. We don't want a bunch of liberals to dump capital punishment through judicial fiat. This is great news for our country and for our criminal justice system. And for all of us out there, either Democrat or Republican, we should thank President Bush for appointing justices who actually are willing to do the right thing.

Steve, South Carolina (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:02 AM)

Has anyone else noticed that H.R. Clinton seems to be taking Republican side in issues against Obama? I suppose she's just giving him more realistic practice.

In a related comment, H.R. Clinton came out in favor of this verdict, specifically in relation to those campaigns that are better than hers.

As appreciative that I am that F-R actually created some threads unrelated to HRC, BHO and J_M, I could not help myself in my post.

Nicholas: Minnesota (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:52 AM)

Capital punishment was around before, during, and after the constitution was written. Only an amendment should change that, not judges legislating from the bench.

Samuel E. Arcata, Ca (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12:01 PM)

State sponsored deaths for those found guilty of capitol felony convictions. What is the difference? We kill people people in the name freedom democracy and oil. Dead is dead.Is the rascal who kills his family any better off than the family who gets blown-up sitting in their little mud hut in some desert country? Any why you cut it the state is sponsoring death by killing. We are animals, not gods. This what we do.

Pacheck, Huntington Beach, Ca. (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12:06 PM)

We are a little behind in executions hre in Texas...
Maybe we need more tables and needles!

The only good criminal is a dead criminal

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12:29 PM)

don't torture terrorists (or maybe thats OK, depends on your republican) and don't have abortions ...
but go ahead kill criminals

Lanny Davis (Sent Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12:31 PM)

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