US Administration Spreading Death?

[aharris]

This is more of a question, as I've seen it suggested in some news stories and wondering if anyone here has seen any articles specifically addressing the topic.

I read recently in an article about the Death Penalty being pursued in Hawaii under Federal capital statutes, that some believe there is a directed effort by the US administration to 'spread' the death penalty back into abolitionist states. They have suggested in a few articles that the use of federal statutes is increasing to apply the death penalty in abolitionist states whereas under previous administrations (at least under Clinton) the death penalty was rarely if ever sought in an abolitionist state.

It also had me thinking about the US federal attempts to apply the death penalty in Puerto Rico - being an abolitionist protectorate so only feasible under federal statute.

Has anyone seen anything purely addressing this issue (and not just making the comment in an aside?)?

Thanks,

Aubrey
www.aubreyharris.com

[aharris]

Just wanted to direct you to the first article I'd seen this specifically suggested - see the Hawaii part of this part of my blog:
www.aubreyharris.com/blog_Nov2006.htm#12_Nov_2006

[skyloom]

Under President Clinton's administration, no one from a non-death-penalty state was sitting on a federal death row, but now there are six, Dieter said.

I would think this sentence holds the story. The federal government has the right to prosecute federal crimes, regardless of where the specific crime was committed. It also has some rights to deal with crimes on American Indian reservations especially when the smaller tribes are not prepared to deal with them (i.e. no maximum security prisons on the reservations). There may be other very specific exceptions.

The only thing I wonder about is why this particular crime falls into the definition of a federal crime.

[happyhaddock]

skyloom said:

Under President Clinton's administration, no one from a non-death-penalty state was sitting on a federal death row, but now there are six, Dieter said. ...

So much for the 'pro life party' and the 'born again' President!

[janet]

It rather fascinates me that President Clinton was considered a compassionate man. While no one from a non-death-penalty state was sitting on a federal death row, many tend to forget the it was President Clinton who left the 'stump' to return to Arkansas to sign a warrant for a man to be put to death. While many of Clinton's policies and inititatives were valuable, he was never and is not opposed to the death penalty. Hillary Clinton is not, either. This certainly isn't written as an apogee to George W., who is a contemptable, disgrace of a President. As for him being 'born again', perhaps, he'll be 'born again' successfully in a subsequent life.