I read up on the last several men the federal government rushed to put to death this past month.
Sister Helen is 100% right. None of the defendants would have come anywhere near a death penalty had they had money and privilege.
1/
Sister Helen is 100% right. None of the defendants would have come anywhere near a death penalty had they had money and privilege.
1/
https://twitter.com/helenprejean/status/1350334166819241984
Take the person executed last night: Dustin Higgs.
Higgs, another man and a woman were involved in the murder of two people. The trio had picked the victims up and taken them to a desolate area where they were shot.
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Higgs, another man and a woman were involved in the murder of two people. The trio had picked the victims up and taken them to a desolate area where they were shot.
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The reasons for the shooting were unclear. To make their case, prosecutors offered a deal to Higgs’ two associates: testify that Higgs had orchestrated the killing and they would be charged with lesser offenses.
So, the two did.
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So, the two did.
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The man testified that he had actually been the shooter and had murdered the two women - but had been told to do so by Higgs.
The actual murderer avoided the death penalty. The other associate got a lighter sentence.
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The actual murderer avoided the death penalty. The other associate got a lighter sentence.
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I entirely 1,000% believe that prosecutors would have never even pursued the death penalty had Higgs had intimidating counsel.
Epstein got a walk for a boatload of crimes, in part, because prosecutors were intimidated of the fight they’d face.
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Epstein got a walk for a boatload of crimes, in part, because prosecutors were intimidated of the fight they’d face.
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The death penalty case again Higgs entirely depended on the testimony with a huge motive to lie. The actual murderer literally saved his own life by accusing Higgs.
If Higgs had been wealthy, he wouldn’t have even faced the death penalty let alone been sentenced to it.
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If Higgs had been wealthy, he wouldn’t have even faced the death penalty let alone been sentenced to it.
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And to make the weakness of the case that sentenced Higgs to death even worse:
The shooter recanted. Signed a statement that Higgs had not actually ordered the shooting.
The admitted murderer recanted the testimony that doomed the accomplice.
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The shooter recanted. Signed a statement that Higgs had not actually ordered the shooting.
The admitted murderer recanted the testimony that doomed the accomplice.
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Dustin Higgs was executed last night anyway.
He was put to death before the appeals court could even complete a hearing it had scheduled for two weeks from now on a new legal question.
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He was put to death before the appeals court could even complete a hearing it had scheduled for two weeks from now on a new legal question.
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And the crimes for which Higgs was put to death were only eligible for the death penalty because they happened to be on a stretch of road owned by the federal government.
A mile further down the road, no federal jurisdiction, no death penalty.
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A mile further down the road, no federal jurisdiction, no death penalty.
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Our “justice system” is neither “just” nor a single “system”.
There are two systems. One for the rich and one for the poor. One for the privileged and one for the disadvantaged.
In the first, the guilty get off. In the second, the unlucky get executed.
10/10
There are two systems. One for the rich and one for the poor. One for the privileged and one for the disadvantaged.
In the first, the guilty get off. In the second, the unlucky get executed.
10/10
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