The death penalty: Some crimes deserve death

Re: “Governor’s quiet reprieve of death-row murderer draws ire from many directions.” (TNT, 12/31)

Our governor, Jay Inslee, has rejected the effectiveness of the death penalty. Is that the result of decades of research, or, is it the result of cowardice on the part of our state’s justice system? Maybe it is the slowness of the justice system that creates such a costly and undesirable procedure.

If a person is found guilty of a heinous crime, why do we take so much time to carry out the required penalty? Decide what it means to commit a capital crime, then perform the punishment in a reasonable time period. Stop delaying the death penalty for years and decades.

There are two problems: One, the crime requires legitimate witnesses. If there are no witnesses, there is no capital crime. Two, there must be supporting circumstantial evidence. When witnesses and evidence agree, then there is reason for the death penalty.

All crimes deserve full investigation. Some deserve leniency. Some deserve the full weight of the law. Please do not reject the need for the death penalty.

This story was originally published January 15, 2017 at 6:58 PM with the headline "The death penalty: Some crimes deserve death."