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A question for the wise amongst us

post #1 of 12
6/21/01 at 5:12am
Thread Starter 
hypothetically speaking, i have a interesting quandary, so to speak, and would like some advice/imput towards this:

given a scenario (theoretically) how would you react and what would your decision be?

the scenario is as such:

18 years ago, there was a murder case and which was unsolved up until approx 6 years ago. The accused is a extremely notorious criminal and was committed to trial for the aforesaid murder case and 2 others. Conviction for life for 1 murder and not guilty for the other.

The criminal has (apparently) advanced parkinsons disease and may not live out the trial or year.

The director of prosecutions has quietly asked the family of the deceased to decide or give opinion as to the criminal proceedings to be dismissed or or to be completed.

18 years is a long time for both wounds to heal and cases to remain unsolved.

Consider this then, if the decision to this was yours personally (and give good consideration to the upheaval caused by the orignal circumstances), then what would be your choice and plan of action?.

just curious.
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post #2 of 12
6/21/01 at 6:09am
Thread Starter 
ta big fella - the person in question and the resulting court case has actually prevented the ABC doco "blue murder" being shown in NSW.

Once again thanx for your answer
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post #3 of 12
6/21/01 at 6:58am
Nick.Shu.

Are you writing this from jail??????? :)

I think that anyone who does a wrong should also take into consideration the punishment that will accompany it. Then let others learn from the fact that the punishment will be carried out no matter what.

D.Lee

[ June 21, 2001: Message edited by: Dlee ]
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post #4 of 12
6/21/01 at 7:38am
This is probably a stupid way to view this, but perhaps the accused murderer has already been punished? Parkinson's is a terrible disease because your mind is still working like it always did but your body doesn't want to work with it. When Nicko said "apparently", does that the accused doesn't actually have Parkinson's? If his Parkinson's is advanced, it should be pretty evident and I suppose he wouldn't be able to defend himself in a court of law. If there is absolutely no question that he's guilty, I think they should just declare the case closed and put it down in the record books that he is guilty. He doesn't need to go to an actual prison. His body is already a prison.
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post #5 of 12
6/21/01 at 7:59am
He should go to prison. He should face consequences and Parkinson's isn't one.
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post #6 of 12
6/21/01 at 11:15am
Extremely notorious criminal still on the loose all those years later and getting away with murder! And now we're supposed to pity him for his disease?

Get real, he belongs in prison.

:mad:
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post #7 of 12
6/21/01 at 4:52pm
Illness afflicts the innocent too... Parkinson is just an illness, not justice. The proceedings should go on.
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post #8 of 12
6/21/01 at 5:59pm
Being old or sick doesn't excuse the crimes that were commited. If this was the case then the ***** wouldn't be hunted anymore. Does that sound fare? Not to me. You can pity the man, be sorry he has Parkinson but he still deserve to pay for what he did.
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post #9 of 12
6/22/01 at 7:13am
Thread Starter 
i should expand on the hypothetical - the criminal is serving 1 previous life sentence and has been convicted and appelation appeal dismissed. The person in question may well die in prison within the year.

Should the concept of mercy be invoked vis a vis:
The quality of mercy is not strain'd.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.
It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."

Or should it be dismissed and justice be served, if not for the respondents, then for the past victims of unsolved crimes?.
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post #10 of 12
7/17/01 at 11:48am
Prison. His mind still knows what he did, and what he did was wrong. If I was the victims family, I would want the sentence to be carried out, for closure if nothing else. Justice, and the sentence, is for the crime he committed when he was "healthy". Justice isn't for "gee sorry you are ill now, we'll take pity on you."
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post #11 of 12
7/17/01 at 6:44pm
Having Parkinson's, awful as that is, is not an act of atonement. It's an act of nature. He should be jailed for the rest of his life.
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post #12 of 12
7/17/01 at 9:47pm
Sickness and old age is not an excuse . If you do a crime you should pay for it. I don't care how long ago it was, you are still guilty after 20 or 30 years.

Think of Pinochet. He's old and sick. Should that excuse all the horrible things he did while in power?
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