Crime and Punishment...

[Shimmer]

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Currently headlines and all major news outlets are reporting that JonBenet Ramsey's killer has confessed and is being extradited to the Boulder CO to face First Degree Murder charges.
The suspect, John Mark Karr, has confessed to being 'in love' with JBR and has stated that her death was 'accidental'.

Should this man be found guilty, based upon evidence provided, what legal punishment is suitable?

Prior to answering that question, please familiarize yourself with the case by checking the entry under "JonBenet Ramsey" in www.wikipedia.org and also look at the reference links provided at the bottom of the page, where, if you are able to stomach it, the autopsy reports are available, with or without pictures.

 

[Shimmer]

It is my opinion that pedophiles cannot be 'rehabilitated', ever. That drive and desire will always be there. As such, my belief is that in cases such as this, the death penalty (should he be found guilty) is definitely applicable, or at the bare minimum, a lifetime in solitary confinement without the chance of parole, EVER.

 

[YvetteJeannine]

My feelings toward the death penalty are mixed..I do believe in it in theory, but so many people these days have been found falsely convicted (via DNA testing that was not availble when they faced trial, or witnesses stepping forward that weren't present at the trial, etc.). I also believe, however that sex offenders can NEVER be rehabilitated..even w/ chemical castration, etc...For most sex offenders, sex isn't the reason they commit these crimes..a lot of it has to do w/ power/agression toward women/children..so, therefore it is MY opinion that chemical castration, counseling, therepy, etc. DOES NOT WORK!!! IMO, if someone has been found guilty of any sex-related crime (esp. on children) they should be put away for life. How many stories to we hear of offenders getting twenty years, getting out in 10 (although as of late, more and more prisons are making their inmates do almost all their time sentenced, and many prisons are also getting rid of "good time"..as Connecticut prisons have done), and raping another woman/child??

I stated in another post (last night) that I wasn't sure about this Karr guy...(although that feeling was based on what I read last night..admittedly I haven't seen the latest news about the case). But, whether he committed this heinous atrocity or not, he's still an extremely sick individual. If, however it comes out that he most certainly IS the man whom killed JonBenet, I think the death penalty would be too good for him!

 

[Shimmer]

I had never read her autopsy report until today.
Good Lord.

 

[brandiisamonkey]

While I too feel that pedophiles and rapistis and such cannot be rehabilitated (and are the scum of the earth put simply) I still am not sutre that he is indeed guilty of killing jon benet... as soon as they get the dna back i'll be convinced. I've heard some really pursuading evidence from some news people (radio), and they arent even sure he was in the same state at the time of her death.

BUT that doesn't take away from the fact that hes a sicko thats been arested already for child pornogoraphy. Also people that have known him said that hes been infatuated with the ramsey case for a long time and it isnt crazy for sickos like him to confess to such a high profile crime. so while im not convinced it was him I am convinced that he's disturbed and at the very LEAST should spend his life in a tiny cell with no tv...

and I do beileve in the death penalty for those that DESERVE it. We had a serieal killer in south Louisiana that brutually Killed atleast 5 women. They have dna evidence it was him and honey I think he should fry for what he did. BUT if there is a slimmer of thought that the person could be innocent then I would say to wait until you are 100% that they are guilty, killing an innocent man for a crime he didnt commit is just as bad imo. And again these are my opinions they are not meant to offend.

 

[NutMeg]

I have a problem with the death penalty because of the fact that innocent people can be killed. We don't have the death penalty in Canada and therefore I know that no innocent person has been killed by my justice system. That being said it makes me incredibly angry that the tax money of ordinary citizens is supporting pedophiles who are IMO not capable of being rehabilitated. I don't know if I would go so far to say that rapists should be killed because I think in certain cases they can be rehabilitated. However, I think all pedophiles are irreparably damaged and repeat offenders should be executed in a humane manner.

I also don't think this Karr guy killed JonBenét. He might have, but it sounds more like he was obsessed with the case and confessed to it because he's mentally unstable.

 

[Another Janice!]

Quote:

It is my opinion that pedophiles cannot be 'rehabilitated', ever. That drive and desire will always be there. As such, my belief is that in cases such as this, the death penalty (should he be found guilty) is definitely applicable, or at the bare minimum, a lifetime in solitary confinement without the chance of parole, EVER.

I agree 100%. I think we ought to have a penal colony somewhere where anyone who has committed a crime against a child gets to stay there for the rest of their lives.

 

[Beauty Mark]

I don't know how I feel about the death penalty for this crime. In principle, I think it's a suitable punishment for some crimes. Those are anything done in coldblood with no regret or remorse. I don't believe they can reformed or that prison punishment is suitable, as they probably won't realize how bad what they did is.

However, the problems with death are that wrongfully accused people can be killed. DNA solves most of those problems nowadays, but you don't have to have DNA evidence to convict someone of a crime and for them to receive the death penalty. The death penalty is also very costly, because people tend to fight those charges. I further don't agree that it isn't uniformly distributed and that lesser crimes can receive it while more grave crimes get life in prison or can be paroled.

I personally a fan of giving heinous criminals really terrible lives in prison, like minimum means to keep them alive. I'm always horrified how we treat some of the worst criminals (like Charles Manson) better than our homeless.

I don't know enough about psychology to say whether or not pedophiles can be reformed. Are there people who are chemically imbalanced who are pedophiles? What if a pill can correct them and allow them to be functioning citizens? Like I said, I don't know much about pedophiles, and further information would sway me one way or the other.

I don't think this man is guilty. I think he's f'ed up in the head, but I get the feeling he is delusional.

 

[Shimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauty_mark I don't know enough about psychology to say whether or not pedophiles can be reformed. Are there people who are chemically imbalanced who are pedophiles? What if a pill can correct them and allow them to be functioning citizens? Like I said, I don't know much about pedophiles, and further information would sway me one way or the other.

No, it can't be 'cured' from any research etc. I have done.

 

[Beauty Mark]

Not that I doubt you, but would you give me some sources to read about it? Like studies done by noteable institutions and such? I'm also curious what causes pedophilia (or are people just born pedophiles?) One of my friends was molested by a sibling while a child (sibling was an adult; friend was like 4-5 years old.) I don't know all of the details behind it, but I believe my friend is still in contact and has made peace somehow with the sibling; I think religion played a role in forgivness. That's why I wasn't sure if someone could be reformed. I guess it also depends on your definition of what a pedophile is.

I was only thinking chem imbalance because on Law and Order: SVU, they once did an episode about a woman who was raping her underage son, and it turned out the reason was because of some tumor she had or something like that. I wasn't sure if it was a fictional situation or not.

 

[Shimmer]

webMD.com

What is pedophilia?

medical news today

Emaxhealth.com

NYtimes

several sites

 

[Hawkeye]

Assuming he is guilty the death penalty would be the answer (IMHO) only because there is no tolerance for pedophiles.

Assuming he is not but just wanting attention: Jail time for perjury.

 

[Janice]

Ramsey Case Suspect Cleared After DNA Tests

 

[Shimmer]

I'm completely shocked [/sarcasm]

 

[kimmy]

i agree with Shimmer that pedophiles cannot be rehabbed EVER.

this may seem a little drastic, but i feel that he should be put to death in the same fashion JonBenet was. it is my belief that the punishment should fit the crime to a tee (ie. if you stab someone to death, you should meet the same fate) and i know, that seems extreme especially in such a society as liberal as this.

i also think that he should be put to death that way whether he is proven guilty or not, simply based upon the fact that he confessed to doing it. if he is not in fact guilty (which he may have already been proven to be, i haven't followed that whole Karr issue very thouroughly) i think that him being preverse enough to take credit for something that horrible should be a crime in itself..

 

[Shimmer]

You gotta give the guy props.
He's a smart one.
He was about to go to jail in THAILAND and managed to get brought back to the states where he knew he'd get off from the JBR case and may get probation from the old stuff.
Smart one indeed.