Judged: You've Forfeited Your Right To Live...

I caught the sentencing phase on Fox News last evening of the trial for convicted child killer Joseph P. Smith. The judge spoke very slowly and deliberately from a prepared document detailing each of the circumstances of the case and the weight each circumstance was given in his judgment. While reading, the news channels would play video clips of whatever portion of the case the judge was commenting on adding a huge element of dramatic effect.

I did not follow this case at all. I only know what I saw and heard yesterday from the judge and then the commentator’s afterward. I did have a strong feeling of satisfaction though when I heard the judge say, “You’ve forfeited your right to live.” Followed closely by, “You are sentenced to death” and “May God have mercy on your soul.”

I am a person who has a strong belief in capital punishment. In cases where the evidence is clear that the person is guilty and there is no way that it might have been someone else, I think each killer should receive the death penalty. I also support stricter punishments for other crimes, like stealing, rape, child molestation or abuse, etc.

Take stealing for example. If you steal you should have your hand cut off. But then the democrats would feel an overwhelming need to provide disability and welfare payments to that person for the rest of their life. Maybe it would hit us hard in the pocket book over the long run, but probably not as hard as rehabilitation and repeat offenses or even the cost of the products we buy (because stores raise prices to cover their losses from theft). How about a sexual crime? Sex crimes are almost exclusively committed by men. If you commit a sex crime then you should be castrated. But I digress.

What struck me about this particular case in the sentencing was how disgustingly oblivious Mr. Smith was to the damage he had done. At one point while the judge was reading Mr. Smith yawned as if he was bored. His face remained calm and he just sat there as if to say, “Can we just get this over with so I can go on with my day?”

The evidence in this case was overwhelmingly convincing and left no room for someday finding out that they got the wrong man thus the punishment for this case was absolutely correct and appropriate. Of course, it will automatically be reviewed by the Supreme Court, a necessary safeguard in our legal system. But in my opinion, they should take away all the requests for sentence modifications, clemency, appeals, etc that will most certainly follow for the next 10-20 years. This guy did it. He admits he did it. He is caught on film doing it. The evidence supports that he did it. His sentence should be carried out swiftly and expeditiously relieving the tax payers, the justice system staff members, and society of the burden of caring for him and affording him all of his ‘rights.’