Death Penalty for all 5 Suspects

I'm a bit behind on the details of this case.  Early reports were that the guys went in thinking the house was empty, and they could just rob it, and that it went bad.  But if the one kid is being charged with 1st degree, doesn't that mean he went in with the premeditated intent to kill?

If this was a premeditated thing, it makes you wonder if they talked the kid into being the one to pull the trigger, knowing that he couldn't be hit as hard legally after the fact.

As for the 29 years, I'm sure they picked out the one guy they thought they'd have the least solid case on, and cut him a sweet deal to rat out the rest and make their job easier.  I guess how 'long' 29 years is depends on the parole possibilities, and how old the guy is to start with.  I mean, if he's 45 and no parole, he'll be a decade past retirement age by the time he gets out... it's not that far from a life sentence.  But if he's 18, it's a different effect from the same sentence.

So in your opinion the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States Of America are 2 bit lawyers making back room deals? FYI - the reason they can't get the death penalty is because they were minors when they commited the crime. The Supreme Court ruled several years ago that minors cannot receive the death penalty. If the crime was pre-meditated, they can be tried as adults and be executed, but the prosecution needs to be able to PROVE pre-meditated murder. Please make an attempt to educate yourself on your surroundings before making ridiculous statements.

Peace ... Rog

I know when one of my friends from high school was robbing banks with 8 other people, the dude that snitched on them would cry every night in jail. They had to end up sending him to another jail. They thought he would get killed by the other dudes involved. Even worse, the guy that snitched got the most time. These DA's and prosecutors are trying to get a conviction anyway they can. They will lie to you, just to get the truth out. If you don't know your rights, which most teenagers don’t, you will get a phony deal. All these people saying they would never snitch are usually the first ones to do so. When your facing life in prison vs. 29 years (2/3 13 yrs), most people would do the same. This is a dog eat dog world. It's a lose-lose situation, you don't snitch, you go to jail for life, you do snitch, you might lose your life. Here's the answer, stop wanting to be Billy The Kid and don't put yourself in a situation like that. I don't recall ever hearing a case that someone didn't snitch. Even happened to the Mafia. Somebody is going to snitch at some point. Look at Warren Buffet, he will never run out of money, don't remember him robbing and killing to get to the top. The kids in most of these neighborhoods (around the US), idolize rappers and the local dope boys. The local drug dealers get the fast tax free money and don't have to punch a clock for $7/hr, not to mention all the attention from the girls. The thing I don't understand is, all of the Dope boys and local gang bangers don't live forever nor do they get away with it forever. I grew up in New Orleans, LA, the murder capital for most of my teenage life. I witnessed a lot of these things first hand, not to mention partake in some of them. I snapped out of it and got a grip on life and understood that there is way more to life than fast money. Doesn't everyone want to be wealthy? But, the reality is, we all can't. You have to be satisfied with the basics, because at the end of the day, that is what most of us will only amount to having.

If the man has been stoned to death, how can you torture him afterward? Would dismembering do any good for anyone or are you just an equally sick individual who would love to commit atrocious crimes upon a human but don’t have the guts to actually risk the repercussions?

Agreed.  If you're old enough to take someone's life, you're old enough to get the death penalty!

P.S.  Maybe you shouldn't endorse Obama if you want to be tough on crime...

badsnap -I thought each state determined death penalty, you know, states rights. I know each state can have a different cut-off for what would be considered a juvenile offense and/or an adult crime.

In addition, each state determines different criterion for capital offenses, from hijacking, murder with rape, murder during felony....

The Supreme Court ruled a definitive on juveniles? I had not heard.

Anyway,, not much civics on sportsline.