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   Jurors recommend death for Sniper

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Topic: Jurors recommend death for Sniper (Read 147 times)

Rhune
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Jurors recommend death for Sniper
« on: Nov 24^th, 2003, 10:14am »

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Jurors recommend death for Muhammad
Monday, November 24, 2003 Posted: 11:06 AM EST (1606 GMT)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia (CNN) Jurors on Monday recommended John Allen Muhammad be sentenced to death for orchestrating last year's sniper shootings in the Washington area.

Jurors recommended death for two of four counts Muhammad was convicted of last week in the shooting death of Dean Harold Meyers: terrorism and capital murder.

Muhammad also received a 10-year sentence recommendation for a conspiracy and a three-year sentence recommendation for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Under Virginia law, a jury recommends sentencing and a judge decides whether to accept the verdict or impose another sentence.

Formal sentencing was set for February 12.

Last week the same jury convicted the 42-year-old Muhammad of the October 9, 2002, killing of Meyers outside a Manassas, Virginia, service station.

Meyers was one of 10 people killed in the October 2002 sniper killings. Three people were wounded but survived the attacks.

Muhammad could face the death penalty on two of the convictions; capital murder and murder committed in an act of terrorism.

Prosecutors argued that Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo -- Muhammad's alleged accomplice currently on trial in nearby Chesapeake -- acted as a team, with Malvo as the trigger man in most of last year's sniper shootings.

Malvo, 18, is on trial for the October 14, 2002, slaying of Linda Franklin in the parking lot of a Fairfax, Virginia store. Malvo has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers argue that he was brainwashed by Muhammad.

The jury is deciding whether Muhammad should be sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. A death sentence would require a unanimous decision.

The jury's decision will serve as a recommendation, which the judge can then use to impose a sentence. The judge can reduce the recommended sentence but not increase it. Millette is expected to follow the jury's decision.

Before recessing last Friday, jurors asked Millette two questions: What to do if they could not reach a unanimous decision, and if deliberations could continue Tuesday if needed.

Responding to the first question, Millette said after six weeks of trial but only a few hours of deliberations it would be too early for jurors to decide they could not reach a unanimous decision.

Millette also said deliberations could continue Tuesday if needed. Earlier, the judge had said there would be no proceedings in the trial that day because one juror could not be there because of medical reasons.

Millette said at the start of the trial there would be no proceedings Wednesday through Friday of Thanksgiving week.

On Thursday prosecutors asked the jury to sentence Muhammad to death after defense lawyers tried to humanize their client by showing his home movies.

Assistant prosecutor James Willett said the friendly, smiling Muhammad jurors saw in the movies "is already dead." Prosecutor Paul Ebert said life means little to Muhammad.

Muhammad's defense pleaded with jurors to spare his life.

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Re: Jurors recommend death for Sniper
« Reply #1 on: Dec 1^st, 2003, 11:47pm »

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IMO, this suspect deserves to have this case put on the fast track in regards to completing his appeals so that punishment can be administered.

This is the type of wanton, random crime that terrorizes and paralyzes entire communities. It tears at the very fabric of our democracy. The message has to be sent firmly and swiftly so that we send a message to deter other twisted individuals who might want to follow in his footsteps.

This individual AND his partner deserve the ultimate punishment and I'm just disappointed that Virginia doesn't have the option of using a Firing Squad for the punishment!! It would be a fitting end.

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