Page 10 - June July 2017

Michael’s Murder - Capital Punishment Vs Life Imprisonment

Writer Rod Morgan, a well-known author of many books and articles on criminal justice and penal policy,
supported putting an end to capital punishment on the grounds that it violates human rights and fundamental
freedoms. He pointed out something that should concern everyone: In recent years, many of the states with the
death penalty have passed laws that added crimes that qualify as a capital case such as attempted assassination
of the President, and major drug trafficking.

If a friend or relative committed one of those additional crimes, although a dreadful crime, should that person be
put to death, or would life in prison without parole form a better solution so that he or she could actually pay a
debt to society for the crime? C
A
Final Thoughts P

We must look deep inside and ask ourselves this question: If we were judges in a court of law, could we, without I
much regard to overall society, sentence another human being to die? Professor of law James S. Liebman asked T
the same question in 2007: “Why, then, is the Court’s stance toward the death penalty one of both detachment A
and deployment? Why not one or the other? Why, in its dance with death, is the Court suspended between near-
embrace and near-escape?” L

Now I return to my brother’s killer, Dennis Ray Benton. My family and I did not ask the prosecutor to seek the P
death penalty because in reality, he would not have suffered for taking the life of our loved one. Killing Benton
would not right the wrong that he did to our family. U
N
The fact that Michael’s killer lives and suffers daily the consequences of his actions brings me comfort. I see I
his suffering, and the physical signs of his misery which does much more for me than his dead body lying in the
ground could ever do. S
H
In Michael’s case, justice really has prevailed without the use of capital punishment. M

*Name changed to pseudonym to protect family privacy E
N
Copyright 2011 Patti McMann. All rights reserved. T

Born and raised in Southern Oregon, Patti has been a writer for most of her life. She holds a Master of Business
Administration (MBA) from Southern Oregon University, and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and
Instructional Technology from Northwest Christian University. She writes for business and pleasure, and she
has knowledge and experience in many different subjects which she puts into her articles. She also interviews
people who contact her with their stories for possible inclusion into an article. A versatile writer, Patti McMann
writes about a variety of topics for print and electronic publications. To find out more about her and the subjects
she writes about, visit her website at http://www.pattimcmann.com.

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