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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    The Death Penalty and Mental Illness

    The only woman on death row is due to be executed on December 8th. She strangled a pregnant mother and cut the baby from her womb.

    Now a group of people, including mental health experts as well as prosecutors, are calling for her execution to be commuted to life imprisonment on the grounds that she had such severe mental illness as to be detached from reality:

    "Lisa's experiences as a victim of horrific sexual violence, physical abuse, and being trafficked as a child do not excuse her crime," a group of 41 current and former prosecutors wrote in one of the letters, which were provided to Newsweek.


    "But her history provides us with an important explanation that would influence any sentencing recommendation we made as prosecutors."

    They said Montgomery's history was "not an 'abuse excuse' as the jury was told at her trial," but evidence that is "critically relevant to determining the appropriate punishment of a serious crime."


    Stanley Garnett and Harry Zimmerman, two former district attorneys who have prosecuted cases almost identical to Montgomery's, added in another letter: "We know from first-hand experience that these crimes are inevitably the product of serious mental illness."


    They added: "Women who commit such crimes also are likely to have been victimized themselves. These are important factors that make death sentences inappropriate."


    They are joined by hundreds of organizations that advocate for women, children and people with mental illnesses.

    A letter from 800 organizations, survivors and individuals that work to combat violence against women said:

    Montgomery had suffered "a lifetime of horrific abuses" and "was consistently failed by people and systems that should have helped her."


    The letter says Montgomery was first sexually abused by her stepfather, who repeatedly raped her and allowed friends to gang-rape her. As a teenager she was trafficked to men by her mother.


    Montgomery "developed a dissociative disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder" as a result of the repeated rapes she suffered by those men, the letter said.


    It adds that although Montgomery told people about the abuse, no one intervened.


    A letter from the heads of three groups that advocate for people with serious mental health illnesses said Montgomery was born with brain damage because of her mother's abuse of alcohol while pregnant and also
    "inherited a genetic predisposition to serious mental illness from both sides of her family."


    It says that on top of that, the "relentless physical, psychological and sexual abuse" Montgomery suffered throughout her childhood "severed her connection to reality."


    This letter noted that multiple experts have concluded Montgomery's crime was the product of her mental illness and brain injuries. "Even today, her grip on reality is fragile, maintained only with a complex regimen of psychotropic medications that she never received before being incarcerated," the letter said.


    "President Trump, we know the decision whether to commute a death sentence is difficult, but in Lisa Montgomery's case, it is the right one," the letter added.


    "Because of her severe mental illness and the direct link between that illness and her crime, a sentence of life without parole is severe, yet just. We ask that you grant her clemency."
    Complex this one. The crime is horrendous and obviously the torch and pitchfork mob won't give a fuck what the reasoning is, they just want revenge.

    But the victim's history of horrendous abuse, allied with a proven genetic disposition to mental illness, must surely put this into the realms of not guilty through reasons of insanity?

    Society already has mitigations for taking a life, such as self defence. Is this not at least sufficient grounds to change a plea from first degree murder to manslaughter or something?

    Her actions were horrendous and she is a threat to society, but surely studying her and learning from her to prevent future incidents is preferable to a pointless execution?

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Sad story. I wonder how the woman herself feels about dying. Death could actually be a humane way to release the woman from her tortured existence.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by misskit View Post
    Sad story. I wonder how the woman herself feels about dying. Death could actually be a humane way to release the woman from her tortured existence.
    That's actually a good point. Has she had a say in it?

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat helge's Avatar
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    Another case from small town Skidmore, Missouri

    Skidmore, Missouri - Wikipedia

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    That's actually a good point. Has she had a say in it?
    Is she mentally equipped enough to comprehend such a complex issue?

    This is a tough one . . . clearly insanity is proven, but what would decades of therapy (in jail, of course) help as she wouldn't be released again.

    Not being a believer in state-sanctioned murder that seems to be the only option, even though the prospect of rehabilitation is slim.



    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    Another case from small town Skidmore, Missouri
    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post

    Skidmore, Missouri - Wikipedia


    Tragic as well . . . mental health is a very difficult area

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Bobbie_Jo_Stinnett

  6. #6
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    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by misskit View Post
    Sad story. I wonder how the woman herself feels about dying. Death could actually be a humane way to release the woman from her tortured existence.
    I am against the dearth penalty , not because I have a problem with killing some one. I often fantasized about killing many in this forum , and I still might given the opportunity. But I don't want to give that power to some politically ambitious upstart.
    But for a person such as described in the OP , she is obviously disturbed, why is she even in jail, she should be in an institution for the criminals insane.
    I agree with you, putting her out of her miserly would be the humane thing to do.
    The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up.

  7. #7
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    some kind of institution for criminals,they are called LUNATIC ASYLUMS.

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    MarilynMonroe's Avatar
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    I don't think this lady should be executed. Due to her past trauma, she should be in jail with possible rehabilitation opportunities and serious counselling.

    I know what she did is horrible, but if she has dissociative disorder and ptsd, she should be in a mental institution more than anything. What a sad situation.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarilynMonroe View Post
    What a sad situation.
    The really sad situation is the US still having the death penalty -




    The US catching fifth spot, beating such luminaries as Chad, Somalia, Sudan etc....


    In California alone the cost from trial to incarceration is 4 billion . . . invest that in mental health

  10. #10
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    ^Wow, isn't that crazy. They need to put so much more money in rehabilitation and mental health in the US. I can imagine how much money they have in guns and ammunition. The mind boggles.

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    delet

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarilynMonroe View Post
    I can imagine how much money they have in guns and ammunition.
    Hundreds of billions . . . just the 'war' in Afghanistan has cost well over one trillion. Trillion . . . amazing

  13. #13
    I'm in Jail

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    Quote Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai View Post
    I often fantasized about killing many in this forum , and I still might given the opportunity. But I don't want to give that power to some politically ambitious upstart.
    A green for your honesty !

    Can I send you my "wish" hit list ?? Though it has occurred to me that I may be on yours already...
    Last edited by Latindancer; 13-11-2020 at 05:02 PM.

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