White House Proposal Would Expand Authority of Military Courts

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Betty

Even better it goes on to say "To secure a death penalty under the draft legislation, at least five jurors must agree, two fewer than under the administration's earlier plan. Courts-martial and federal civilian trials require that 12 jurors agree."

So - the administration -----will kill a guy when a majority of people don't think he's guilty.

Discuss.

I think you may have misunderstood. It's not 5 of 12 but 5 of 5. Everyone on the jury will still have to agree that the death penalty is appropriate and the article doesn't say but I bet appeals will still be available.

[wendybeth]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

I think you may have misunderstood. It's not 5 of 12 but 5 of 5. Everyone on the jury will still have to agree that the death penalty is appropriate and the article doesn't say but I bet appeals will still be available.

You.....bet? That's not a bet I would make these days.

Doesn't the fact that you are unsure bother you?

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

You.....bet? That's not a bet I would make these days.

Doesn't the fact that you are unsure bother you?

Not really. I am sure that if appeals were not going to be available that this article surely would have touched on that too. However; what I was really pointing out was that it would take 5 jurors out of 5 jurors, not 5 of 12 as was suggested, to sentence someone to death.