James Holmes--The sentencing verdict is really bothering me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We either allow the execution of the mentally ill or we preemptively put them in lockdown mental facilities. You can't have it any other way.

Except not all people who are mentally Ill are prone to violence or other criminal behavior. So, no, this isn't either or.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a mentally ill (nonviolent) family member and I say fry him. He doesn't deserve to live, and besides what kind of life is he going to have in jail?

How would you feel if your family member did something like this? Fry them, too? Holmes did something unbelievably awful. It wasn't his mother's fault or his other family member's fault, though. If you can't have mercy on him, have mercy on his family members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Death sentence due to mental illness won't sit well with me either.

+1000. Sentencing a schizophrenic man to death is barbaric. In fact, the death penalty is barbaric. Our prison system has to be overhauled. Solitary confinement is terrible. Minimum drug sentences are terrible. Trying children as adults is barbaric. Horrible.

If you don't believe in the death penalty you should really mention that during jury selection.

Not PP, but I will NEVER mention that during jury selection. If I am called for jury service on a death penalty case, I will agree that I can consider the death penalty as allowed by law. Then I will vote against it.

The death penalty is evil. It's as evil as what Holmes did. I will not stand by and let someone get a death penalty if I am in a position to stop it from happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not a big supporter of the death penalty but I do believe he was deserving of it in this case. For some reason, the life sentence is getting to me. With the recent theater events, I have even thought about where I should sit in a movie theater just in case. I am a very social person and love outdoor public events, crowds, and being around people in general. What gives, anyone else that can't shake this off?

Killing Holmes isn't going to stop some wackadoo from shooting up your kid's school or shooting you in a theater. People who do things like this don't care about whether they get life or death.

Don't let your fear drive you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mental health services available to everyone would be great, but this guy was already getting those services.

I have serious issues with the death penalty and think it should be barred from being used for people who mentally ill, mentally retarded and children. I think the Supreme Court has already ruled on the latter two.

He was getting services. And he was telling people for years about how he wanted to kill people. His one psychologist said he'd been obsessed with killing people for over a decade.

But he was allowed to buy guns and other weapons legally from stores. You can't pilot a plane if you are taking anti-depression meds, but you can buy a gun even if you've let everyone know you want to kill people.

I agree with you but also think our mental health resources and professionals have made it too hard to provide institutionalized care for those who truly need it. I haven't seen one picture of him with what I would view as a "normal" facial expression.

We have grossly inadequate mental health resources services. That's the problem. In the 60s, there were 350 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people. Now there are about 15 beds. Most studies show we need a minimum of 50 beds per 100,000. I'm not talking about a return to insane asylums like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. But both modern-day community and residential services that actually meet our needs. Psychiatrists can't refer people somewhere if there's nowhere to go. Families can't figure out how to help their loved ones stay on or change medications to best suit needs if there are no providers out there.

Right now our jails are our nation's biggest mental health providers. That doesn't do anyone any good.

PP here. I am fully aware of all that you've said and agree completely.

Sorry, the way I read your statement was that mental health providers are not doing their best to treat people. That "they" make it too hard to get treatment. I just was pointing out it's a lack of resources in general, moreso than quality. If you didn't mean that, I apologize.

PP here. You're very kind to respond, but I wasn't feeling corrected or chastised. I really do agree with all that you said but will add that there are some mental health professionals (I'm i the field) who seem to put the rights of the mentally ill (confidentiality, opposition to involuntary commitment) over those of potential innocent victims. It's very sad, but I happen to think that we need to institutionalize those who have shown disturbing behaviors (like this young man) over a long period of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

He is going to supermax, no one will get near him.


Hahaha! Jeffery Dahmer thought the same thing.

PS, we don't say "supermax" anymore.

Uh, I don't know who your 'we' is. 'Supermax' is a type of prison. And, Jeffery Dahmer was not in a supermax facility. He was in the Columbia Correctional Institution which is just a maximum security facilities.

http://www.incarceration101.com/types-of-prisons.php

The PP with the royal "we" obviously has no idea what they are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Death sentence due to mental illness won't sit well with me either.

+1000. Sentencing a schizophrenic man to death is barbaric. In fact, the death penalty is barbaric. Our prison system has to be overhauled. Solitary confinement is terrible. Minimum drug sentences are terrible. Trying children as adults is barbaric. Horrible.

If you don't believe in the death penalty you should really mention that during jury selection.

Not PP, but I will NEVER mention that during jury selection. If I am called for jury service on a death penalty case, I will agree that I can consider the death penalty as allowed by law. Then I will vote against it.

The death penalty is evil. It's as evil as what Holmes did. I will not stand by and let someone get a death penalty if I am in a position to stop it from happening.

So you would flat out lie, in court.

You are a sad person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not a big supporter of the death penalty but I do believe he was deserving of it in this case. For some reason, the life sentence is getting to me. With the recent theater events, I have even thought about where I should sit in a movie theater just in case. I am a very social person and love outdoor public events, crowds, and being around people in general. What gives, anyone else that can't shake this off?

Killing Holmes isn't going to stop some wackadoo from shooting up your kid's school or shooting you in a theater. People who do things like this don't care about whether they get life or death.

Don't let your fear drive you.

This.

Just like incarceration doesn't deter an addict.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Death sentence due to mental illness won't sit well with me either.

+1000. Sentencing a schizophrenic man to death is barbaric. In fact, the death penalty is barbaric. Our prison system has to be overhauled. Solitary confinement is terrible. Minimum drug sentences are terrible. Trying children as adults is barbaric. Horrible.

If you don't believe in the death penalty you should really mention that during jury selection.

Not PP, but I will NEVER mention that during jury selection. If I am called for jury service on a death penalty case, I will agree that I can consider the death penalty as allowed by law. Then I will vote against it.

The death penalty is evil. It's as evil as what Holmes did. I will not stand by and let someone get a death penalty if I am in a position to stop it from happening.

So you would flat out lie, in court.

You are a sad person.

I'd probably do the same. I'll consider it a possibility but I'm not going to decide if favor of the death penalty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Death sentence due to mental illness won't sit well with me either.

+1000. Sentencing a schizophrenic man to death is barbaric. In fact, the death penalty is barbaric. Our prison system has to be overhauled. Solitary confinement is terrible. Minimum drug sentences are terrible. Trying children as adults is barbaric. Horrible.

If you don't believe in the death penalty you should really mention that during jury selection.

Not PP, but I will NEVER mention that during jury selection. If I am called for jury service on a death penalty case, I will agree that I can consider the death penalty as allowed by law. Then I will vote against it.

The death penalty is evil. It's as evil as what Holmes did. I will not stand by and let someone get a death penalty if I am in a position to stop it from happening.

So you would flat out lie, in court.

You are a sad person.

I'd probably do the same. I'll consider it a possibility but I'm not going to decide if favor of the death penalty

Then you should disclose that.

[Anonymous]

I actually think a death sentence is the easy way out compared to life in prison.

[Anonymous]

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/movie-theater-shooting/james-holmes-gets-12-life-sentences-plus-thousands-of-years-more-for-aurora-movie-theater-shooting

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. - Jurors sentenced the convicted movie theater gunman to 12 life sentences for the murders committed on July 20, 2012 and now the judge has also sentenced the shooter to thousands of additional years for the attempted murders of 70 others.

At 48 years per count of first degree attempted murder, and because the sentences must be served consecutively, James Holmes is being sent to over 3,000 years in prison.

It is the maximum sentence allowed under Colorado law.

During the final sentencing hearing, which started Monday, witnesses, survivors and family members were given unrestricted permission to speak in open court about the crime and how it affected them. Many asked District Court Judge Carlos Samour to hand down the maximum sentence.

"I do hope that the maximum penalty will be imposed against James Eagan Holmes for the crimes he committed against humanity," said Carli Richards, who was wounded in the shooting.

[Anonymous]

His mother should refrain from speaking about the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:His mother should refrain from speaking about the case.

Her statement was fine, what's your issue with it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone should be raising hell about the extreme lack of resources to treat the mentally ill. This should have been prevented. Any punishment after the fact is too late and never good enough.

absolutely.

Why do we have so many mentally ill buying guns these days? I am genuinely curious. Were all of the mentally ill institutionalized before?