Monday, November 23, 2009

Khalid Sheik Mohammed may not get the death penalty

An obviously bad idea from the start to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed in New York State civilian court. It just keeps getting worse and worse. Now it turns out that New York state juries are the least likely to hand out the death penalty.

New York Post

New York juries are often loath to impose the death penalty, even for terrorists.

In fact, a jury spared the lives of two Osama bin Laden followers a month after Sept. 11, while the World Trade Center's ruins were still smoldering.

Now comes a case unlike any other: the trial of professed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed.

"If there was any case where a New York jury would impose the death penalty, this is it," said James Cohen, a law professor at Fordham University.

Nevertheless, a jury might steer clear of the death penalty -- not out of any opposition to capital punishment, but out of fear of making a martyr out of Mohammed.

3 comments:

Dinah Lord said...

My head just exploded a little bit again when I read this, kyros.

kyros said...

I know! After reading, i think, a Mark Steyn article I believe they want KSM to walk.

houses Toronto said...

OK. then that's another reason why this decision was so preposterous. It seems that the way to get the justice here is almost invincible. I just wonder with which amount of arguments even the Obama's administration will come to a conclusion that this decision is absolutely ludicrous and serves no one but the terrorists. Elli