There are few words to register the contempt that the families of crime victims must be feeling towards Jay Inslee today. People who care about justice can only shake their heads.
“Gov. Jay Inslee granted a reprieve Thursday to a man who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl. Inslee formally granted the reprieve to Clark Elmore on Thursday, and cited as reasons a ‘lack of clear deterrent value, high frequency of sentence reversal on appeal, and rising cost,’ The Bellingham Herald reported.”
Inslee tries to cover his liberal agenda by talking about the cost of the death penalty – though the cost of justice in this case will only be increased because of Inslee’s decision. Likewise, the further costs of appeal are hardly relevant, as it’s worth noting that there is no question of guilt in this case since “Elmore pleaded guilty as charged to aggravated first-degree murder. At the penalty phase, a Whatcom County jury found no good cause to show leniency. He was sentenced to death May 3, 1996.”
It’s not as if Inslee didn’t have a clear view of what Elmore did. As the media notes, “Whatcom County Prosecutor David McEachran met with Inslee last week to ask the governor to reconsider the ban and to make an exception in Elmore’s case, although McEachran said at the time it was a long shot. ‘I am disappointed,’ McEachran said in a brief written statement, ‘that after 21 years of appeals, in which the sentence of death has been upheld by the highest courts in the state and the United States, the governor has derailed the sentence.’”
Washingtonians who care about justice can only hope that when Inslee mercifully leaves office that the next governor will listen to the jury, the prosecutor, and invoke the sentence that our state laws allow.
In the meantime, shame on Jay Inslee for putting his partisan liberal agenda ahead of justice for a child killer.
directly link to any figures about the cost of the death penalty. NBC news did some quick estimates, based on a case in Yakima in 2011:
Add prosecution costs, defense costs, then appeals and the cost is over one million dollars more than non-death penalty cases.
Trial Attorneys $467,000
Court Costs $70,000
Appeals $100,800
Personal Restraint
Petition $152,900
Habeas Corpus
Petition $238,000
Misc. Petitions ?
= $1,028,700+ MORE than a non-death penalty case
(Those are bare minimum and generic figures, not adjusted for inflation.)
It’s revealing that a web site which complains constantly about any and every possible tax increase — including ST3, which was eagerly levied by us tax-paying voters upon ourselves! — should be so utterly irresponsible about advocating a needless increase in expenditure of state taxpayer money.
Hey…why not simply release all the death row inmates. Imagine the money THAT would save!
Gotta love those bleeding hearts liberals…too bad they lack any feelings for the victims.
Who has proposed releasing death row inmates?
(Isn’t setting up straw men, just to knock them down again, really tiresome?)
Once again, you feign ignorance. You fully understand what I was saying, but you prefer to hear me say it, again.
Here it is, in a nutshell:
Bleeding hearts Liberals, it has been my experience, consistently argue that the cost of executing a death row inmate exceed that of keeping that same inmate alive (even though the above article clearly indicates this is not true, in this case). To me, that says that Liberals are more concerned with money than seeing justice being served. I just assumed that the savings taxpayers would realize, by releasing these inmates, rather than supporting them for the rest of their lives, would be an acceptable alternative to those of the Liberal mindset.
Another alternative would be to ship this particular animal to the South side of Chicago to live out the rest of his days…the cost to Washington taxpayers should be minimal.
I just assumed that the savings taxpayers would realize, by releasing these inmates, rather than supporting them for the rest of their lives, would be an acceptable alternative to those of the Liberal mindset.
So, criminals on death row are not likely to offend? A child rapist is not likely to re-offend? Lose that bet even once, and you’ve racked up far larger bills than incarceration for life for the entire lot of them will cost us.
But I think even you’re not stupid or ignorant enough to believe a pedophile won’t strike again — although you’re willing to lie and say you are. You self-proclaimed small-government, lower-taxes types just have no answer for the cost argument against the death penalty, so you try to hand-wave it away (as Shift tried in this post, for which I easily nailed it) or posit ludicrous nonsense, like the release of death-row inmates.
(While we’re on the subject, how about you tell me how the “big government is the problem, not the solution” fails upon meeting the biggest and most intrusive government program of all, when government actually takes human life. Suddenly, this biggest of all possible big government programs becomes both infallible and inexpensive. How exactly does that total reversal work?)
Nickel and dime our state employees as a reward for their stewardship of our natural resources, but blow a wad on some criminal who’ll never, ever have the opportunity to re-offend. Let me know how confused you are that majorities of your fellow Washingtonians keep rejecting your proposals.
You do realize that I was being facetious about releasing violent criminals back into society (with the possible exception of that South side Chicago idea), don’t you?
I guess I’ve never understood how keeping a convicted murderer locked up, literally, supporting him until he dies of natural causes, is better or more cost effective to the taxpayers than simply executing him. As for the cost of executions, that argument is weak, at best, as there are other states that execute their prisoners, but avoid breaking the bank.
Problem is, the life/death argument is not going to get solved, here, so I’m going to abandon that argument, for now.
You do realize that I was being facetious about releasing violent criminals back into society…
I do understand you have no response to the reality that executing a convict costs far more than life imprisonment. Yet, you keep waving your hands and hope it goes away:
As for the cost of executions, that argument is weak, at best,
Followed by more assertions made without evidence, which I therefore dismiss without evidence, and without even bothering to quote them.
You can lead a horse to water…
My “evidence” is purely empirical, in that 31 states AND the Federal government allow executions. Of those, 20 executions, last year and 2 (so far), this year have been carried out. Being as Washington is one of the most “well to do” states in the Union…how can you argue that it’s so expensive, yet other states are still doing it?
Yes, executions are decreasing, but then, our soon-to-be ex-President is too busy releasing traitors and murderers to properly punish any of these criminals. That, too, may change…
My “evidence” is purely empirical, in that 31 states AND the Federal government allow executions.
So your sole “evidence” that a government program is effective is that some governments are still willing to spend money on it? That’s it? Really?
Being as Washington is one of the most “well to do” states in the Union…how can you argue that it’s so expensive, yet other states are still doing it?
Again, that other governments are willing to spend money on it — that’s your entire proof that said program is not a complete waste of money? (What happened to your repeated skepticism about the efficacy of government programs that you expressed about the DNR?)
How about you provide some actual figures on what those other governments spend, just as I have provided estimates for Washington state here. Then we can compare the efficacy of these government programs.
Also, your sense of entitlement towards Washington state’s tax money is really impressive, given that King County liberals produce so much of it, and Eastern Washington consumes more than it pays. Maybe Eastern Washington could get by with less tax money from King County if you folks questioned governmental expenditures a little more skeptically?
Tensor, my laf. What are you ranting about this time? Would you like to meet for coffee?
So since your into figures and facts and all, why wouldn’t you post some inflated non death penalty case costs for a lifer….just use 30 years as an average…..just curious.
If you want to make the case for life imprisonment being less expensive than the death penalty, go right ahead.
Amazing, isn’t it, how all of the skepticism concerning the efficacy of government spending just evaporates when you want it to spend tax money?
(And, of course, no concern about government screwups when there’s an actual human life at stake — government can do no wrong then!)
Soooo……you obviously didnt want to add all the other figures, but thats ok….ive used for a good laugh showing others all your post…..the 96.1% think ur an idiot as well
Take care…..although still curious, how long u been in Seattle? And how much u get paid trolling this site?
If you want to make the case for life imprisonment being less expensive than the death penalty, go right ahead.
(I have a really good hunch that any point of yours which depends upon your performing simple addition will go permanently unsupported. You’re free to try to prove me wrong on that.)
partisan liberal agenda……over justice. God help us.
So, “justice” consists of killing people who kill people to show that killing is wrong?
Justice consists of carrying out the sentence given by the Whatcom County Superior Court jury of his peers that heard the case and decided the penalty. All his appeals were heard and denied. It is not up to you or others, regardless of your stand on the death penalty, to determine that the rapist-murderer didn’t get justice.
Spoken like a prosecutor. But you didn’t answer my question:
So, “justice” consists of killing people who kill people to show that killing is wrong?
When did you stop beating your wife?
When did you stop beating your wife?
Is that the standard of justice we’re talking about in the case under discussion in this thread? Little wonder the sentence was commuted, then.
Do you believe that justice consists of killing people who kill people to show that killing is wrong?
When did you stop beating your wife?
Do you believe that justice consists of killing people who kill people to show that killing is wrong?
When did you stop beating your wife?
This is fun. Post it again.
Sure. Do you believe that justice consists of killing people who kill people to show that killing is wrong?
It is not up to you or others, regardless of your stand on the death penalty, to determine that the rapist-murderer didn’t get justice.
Actually, the Governor has the power to commute the sentence, so it legally is indeed very much up to him to make that decision. That you disagree with his decision has absolutely no bearing here.
This is fun. Post another false statement.
When did you stop beating your wife?
(apparently tensor fails to grasp the use of metaphor as a literary technique)
I understand perfectly well the use of an irrelevant, misleading question to avoid answering a straight and relevant question.
Too bad Gov. Inslee does not believe we should kill people to teach that killing is wrong, eh?
Not irrelevant in the slightest. I bow to the judgement of the Whatcom County jury that heard all evidence and made a decision based on that evidence. I believe in our system of jurisprudence. If you disagree with the death penalty or our jury system, I suggest you work to change it.
This post exists because Shift objected to Governor Inslee’s use of his rightful powers; I made no objection. Shift assumed the death penalty was just, Gov. Inslee did not agree, and the latter position has prevailed, which is fine with me.
My questions concerning the justice of the death penalty were ignored or evaded, and while that didn’t surprise me, it’s not really relevant.
Your question of the justice of the death penalty was rightly ignored because it’s irrelevant. WA state has the death penalty. The jury made it’s decision. The governor thinks he knows better than 12 jurors of the accused’s peers.
Your question of the justice of the death penalty was rightly ignored because
it’s irrelevantadvocates can’t ever justify the death penalty..Fixed that for you. You’re welcome.
The question of cost– so incredibly important when deciding how much to invest in the futures of our schoolchildren — suddenly becomes utterly irrelevant when considering which criminal sentence to pursue. Witness the utter failure of anyone in this comment thread to attempt justification of the death penalty on cost.
The jury made it’s decision.
The jury didn’t actually have much to decide — the defendant pled guilty, and sentences in Washington state are made by judges. The Governor has the authority to review all death penalty cases. That you disagree with the decision Gov. Inslee made has not the slightest relevance. If you do not like it, then petition for a change in the laws governing such reviews.
There are few words to register the contempt that the families of crime victims must be feeling towards Jay Inslee today.
Funny — there are no words from “families of crime victims” anywhere in this post. Wonder why?
The governor’s office says Inslee’s moratorium is not about individual cases and that Ohnstad’s family spoke with Inslee and expressed a preference for Elmore to serve life in prison.
Which, since he pled guilty to a crime for which the only sentences are death and life imprisonment without possibility of parole, is what he shall serve.
Shame on Shift, for claiming to speak for persons who have already spoken for themselves.
That you agree with the decision hasn’t the slightest relevance, either.
No, but unlike Shift’s irrelevant disagreement, I made my points honestly.
As did I.
“When did you stop beating your wife?”
Nice!
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I’m glad my words had an impact on you.
Doing it right is not an imitation of doing it wrong, dear. Instruction by example is not flattery, so you would do well to stop preening.
Your claim to have argued honestly does not survive examination, viz:
It is not up to you or others, regardless of your stand on the death penalty, to determine that the rapist-murderer didn’t get justice.
Under Washington State’s Constitution and laws, the Governor can indeed determine the death penalty is not justice, and Gov. Inslee has done so here. Contrafactual opining to the contrary adds nothing of value to any dialog.
Here is a beneficial tip: strive to be objective in your comments, rather than descending into emotionalism and condescension. It gives your opinions more validity.
Glad I could help!
It gives your opinions more validity.
My opinions don’t need “more” validity; their solid basis in documented fact gives them all the validity they will ever need.
Contrarily, opinions not based upon fact — such as your claim, above, concerning review of a death sentence — can’t be given validity, not by any amount of pretty trappings.
I hope that was a sufficiently dispassionate explanation for you.
No, you are not objective. You can’t bear anyone disagreeing with you and resort to snark and personal slights to people who address you.
I wish you better luck with that in the future.
No, nearly all KNOW killing is wrong! The extermination is the price you pay and is meant as a deterrent! Extermination is not used, nearly enough and not nearly, soon enough!
yes….when you kill a person who killed a person on purpose, you probably will be saving another life as well!
The killer will spend the rest of his life in prison. He’ll never have another chance to kill as he did. Give it a rest.
No….thats never been good enough….i bet u $1000 that when this first happened, you wouldve not had the guts to defend this action a couple feet away from the father….or from me for that matter….only from the safety of being online!
I’ll bet you don’t have that kind of money. (If you do, spend it on a tutor for spelling, grammar, and reading comprehension.)
Why do you keep stating her family wanted her killer executed? Do you really know so little about this case?
Actually i do, your one of the reasons i push hard in life, because being raised up in ghettos wasnt a choice and was born into poverty, unlike your ‘choices’ i never said her family wanted her killer killed, i simply asked a question about what would you do? Its obvious men and women think dufferently about most things in life….no secret which sex u take after….its really simple, kill these piece of shits everytime…and maybe there wouldnt be so many of these tragic events….also i never said the killer said “she wanted it”, i just gave you a scenario and again you failed miserably to answer it, you would let a person do that exact same crime right in front of your face, and you would cower, because you are a coward!
“i never said her family wanted her killer killed,”
Then what did you mean by, “…you wouldve not had the guts to defend this action a couple feet away from the father”? That reads like you believe her father wanted his daughter’s killer executed, which is not the case.
Listen carefully, your just bitchy whiny female, you have nothing better to do other than try to understand what being a man is like, you should just go the distance and get ur unit chopped off, if u havent done it all the way yet, and other than insinuate that you know what your talking about, try to back things up with real knowledge that you learn by real experience…u said before that i dont get out much, and i havent been dtown lately….well your wrong on everything youve said, ur one of these bitches that just gets facts from one side, and id hardly call them facts when your OBVIOUSLY brainwashed, and or paid by the one side….ive asked to provide other facts, come with numbers from both sides of an arguement but like all progressives youll state something that has been provided to you by another one sided brainwashed person or entity….i do not believe you have been in this city even a 1/4 of the 40 years i have been, and its you who is has been putting nothing but disinformation on this site and many others….there is a lot of dems from other parts of the country who think the ones in this city have lost their minds, and touch with reality……im sure being the bitch u r, ur gonna come with last word, but dont care…..but your r most definitely wrong about businesses leaving…..many are in negotiations to find the real estate needed to operate elsewhere due to crazy taxes this city has gone nuts with along with the sin taxes here….and when its not about taxes, its about the type of people, mostly san fran types moving, and if u argue that, then you def dont get out much……like i said before….hope your the victim of a bike crash, and then at least we can say “one down!….”
The owners of Shift must be really, really proud of the high level of civic discourse they have enabled amongst their own supporters here.
Why aren’t Republican candidates viable in Seattle anymore? It truly is a mystery to you and Shift, isn’t it? How can we voters in Seattle not be inspired by what you’ve brought to our civic dialog here?
I hope you have a pleasant life. To your evident frustration, I’ll continue to enjoy my own good life as well.
Is your life this boring bro….seriously ….go get one up your backside…..im atill hoping i c u in that bike lane while im in a vehicle….im def not gonna let u enjoy it….good luck…hope you fantasy world gets dose of reality….the state os closing in on you and you know it….all u progressives that believe in adam and steve 🙂
Btw…this isnt ‘your’ civic dialogue….no matter what fine print you read, you know damn well that your just here on this particular sight to cause disruption, and spread disinformation, and you’re most likely getting paid to do it, thats why you’ve commented on everyones post…. but I will say this if we all thought the same act the same and look the same this would be a boring world…thank god im not brainwashed…..you should goto prison, you would like it there, for obvious reasons 🙂 plus some more….you like being told when to shit, shower, and goto bed! Wouldnt be hard counting sheep…errr…your brothers and sisters…bahahahaha……..please do us a favor and goto korea 🙂
Tensor…..I just have to know something from you, …..and just answer this question as truthfully as you can…..Do you agree with letting a man who admitted raping and killing a innocent 14-year old girl live, after he was sentenced? And r u seriously defending the less than a man Inslee for overturning this?……And last…..scenario for you….u walk into a room, first thing you see, a little girl all bloody, pants down, then look over to see a man draped over her, with blood on his hands and his pants down as well, and he says “she wanted it!”….WHAT DO YOU DO….tell us what kind of “MAN” u r at that point……….im guessing everybody commenting here already knows, but in your words, please tell the little girls parents that had to witness a second tragedy from Inslee after hearing about the first one done to their little innocent 14 YEAR OLD GIRL what big man Tensor would have done……..
He plead guilty, not that “she wanted it.” He’s getting life in prison with no possibility of parole.
Her relatives did not want an execution — read the material to which I linked on that.
Thanks for making it clear your twisted ideas of manhood are tied up in the vicarious thrill of having the state kill somebody.