Jackson Sentenced

[Hobbler]

This is not an A/T crime, but an indirect and closely related happening last April 5th, 2010, at the Rock Point Overlook, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Waynesboro. It was just some 300' directly above the A/T. I live close by and followed the incident as the man-hunt and capture of this sorry individual took place. He is a local. It looks like he finally got his just rewards. Too bad for the families of the innocent victims and now we have to support this heart-less perpetrator for the rest of his life in prison.

You just never know what some unbalanced person will do. I love the Parkway but have a newer aware-ness when stopping at the open and accessable overlooks.


http://www.nbc29.com/story/14874183/jackson-sentenced-for-parkway-shootings

[Many Walks]

I'll never understand why some people do things like this. I hope this dirt bag gets to share a cell with BIG BUBBA, who gets a daily triple dose of Viagra!

[ekeverette]

you never know what's in a persons mind. been in law enforcement 26 years, and i can't wait to retire..... i feel for those poor familys and the victim.

[Hobbler]

Let's also hope that "Big Bubba" is in for taking the law into his own hands and doing away with someone who randomly killed or maimed a member of his family.....

[d.o.c]

cant see why someone whould do this to random people.

[d.o.c]

or to anyone really.

[Chubbs4U]

Well hes obviously not mentally challenged or that would of been discovered in court. Whats the point of putting the dirtbag in jail til he dies. Why cant we just execute justice after his 10 years of appeals?

[Beachcomber]

Well hes obviously not mentally challenged or that would of been discovered in court. Whats the point of putting the dirtbag in jail til he dies. Why cant we just execute justice after his 10 years of appeals?

As a purely practical matter, it costs considerably fewer public dollars to "throw away the key" and lock up a criminal for life than it does to impose the death penalty, which typically isn't carried out for years and years anyway. There's something to the argument that it's worse punishment to put somebody in an 8-by-10 box for 40-plus years than to put him out of his misery.

[mweinstone]

i wish prisons were dungeons like they were once. i cant understand how we now have to respect this evil. sometimes i wish some secret army would draft me to fight with super heros. we would just push dudes like him down any conveinient staircase. at night we would roam the evil streets just maiming everything evil. might be nice. bet folks would be apriciative.wonder how. vigilantes like charels bronson would be thaught of nowadays.

[jrwiesz]

He should have a bullet through his head, the same as he gave to his victims.

I just don't understand the argument that, "it costs more to give the death sentence, than a life sentence".

No ten years of appeals needed; he admitted guilt, carry out the death penalty.

What we truly need are some judges with the balls to carry out such a sentence.

Beachcomber-do you have statistics/facts to support your claim? Do share.

The death penalty lost its' deterrent effect thru the lengthy appeals process.

Go to, the swift execution of the death penalty, deterrent effect regained.

Ask China how it works.

[Beachcomber]

He should have a bullet through his head, the same as he gave to his victims.

I just don't understand the argument that, "it costs more to give the death sentence, than a life sentence".

No ten years of appeals needed; he admitted guilt, carry out the death penalty.

What we truly need are some judges with the balls to carry out such a sentence.

Beachcomber-do you have statistics/facts to support your claim? Do share.

The death penalty lost its' deterrent effect thru the lengthy appeals process.

Go to, the swift execution of the death penalty, deterrent effect regained.

Ask China how it works.

Well, since you asked:
The California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, in a June 30, 2008 report titled "Report and Recommendations on the Administration on the Administration of the Death Penalty in California" (800KB), offered the following:

"For comparative purposes, the Commission adopted a very conservative estimate that seeking the death penalty adds $500,000 to the cost of a murder trial in California. The costs of a second defense lawyer, the background investigation for the penalty phase, and the added duration and expense of the trial for jury selection and penalty trial alone would easily add up to $500,000 in most cases. The current rate of 20 death sentences per year would require 40 death penalty trials per year, for a total added cost of $20 million...

The costs of confinement can also be estimated with some precision, based upon the Department of Corrections estimate that confinement on death row adds $90,000 per year to the cost of confinement beyond the normal cost of $34,150."


June 30, 2008 - California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice

[jrwiesz]

How come I had the thought? Reply post will come from some Calif. study on justice.
Probably commissioned by some lawyers!

Oh, and your links don't work, at least not on this computer.

[Beachcomber]

How come I had the thought? Reply post will come from some Calif. study on justice.
Probably commissioned by some lawyers!

Oh, and your links don't work, at least not on this computer.

This link should work better.
http://deathpenalty.procon.org/sourc...ission2008.pdf

Another look at the same issue:
The Washington State Bar Association, adopted the Apr. 13, 2007 "Final Report of the Death Penalty Subcommittee of the Committee on Public Defense," which stated:

"It costs significantly more to try a capital case to final verdict than to try the same case as an aggravated murder case where the penalty sought is life without possibility of parole.
At the trial level, death penalty cases are estimated to generate roughly $470,000 in additional costs to the prosecution and defense over the cost of trying the same case as an aggravated murder without the death penalty and costs of $47,000 to $70,000 for court personnel.

On direct appeal, the cost of appellate defense averages $100,000 more in death penalty cases, than in non-death penalty murder cases.

Personal restraint petitions filed in death penalty cases on average cost an additional $137,000 in public defense costs.
On direct appeals and personal restraint petitions, the prosecutor spends significant attorney time responding to the issues raised by the defendant to the Washington Supreme Court. If a death penalty defendant does not succeed before the Washington State Supreme Court, additional defense costs will be incurred in a habeas corpus petition to the federal court and appeals to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court. The Washington State Attorney General must provide attorneys to defend the death penalty sentence before the federal courts."

[jrwiesz]

Another study conducted by lawyers. Probably took them five years to complete.

He admitted guilt, and was competent.
End of story. No appeals. No restraining orders, blah, blah, blah...
Last meal tonight, sentence executed tomorrow.

Ever watch, "Hang 'em High"? Swift justice.

[Beachcomber]

Another study conducted by lawyers. Probably took them five years to complete.

He admitted guilt, and was competent.
End of story. No appeals. No restraining orders, blah, blah, blah...
Last meal tonight, sentence executed tomorrow.

Ever watch, "Hang 'em High"? Swift justice.

When you have evidence, argue the facts.
When you have no evidence, attack the source.

[jrwiesz]

I'm not attacking the source, just skeptical of it.
Their numbers, and all, are probably spot on.
I'm not attacking you either, just adding to the discussion.
Perhaps, I'm just an advocate of swift justice, in certain cases.

Common sense reveals: two days to execute sentence-expense, vs ten years to carry out sentence-expense, vs 10-20-30 years for life-expense;
two days is cheaper? Who da figured? The Wash. State Bar Ass.?

Just sayin' HYOH.