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Texas executes convicted killer despite plea by victim's family


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Texas executes convicted killer despite plea by victim's family

By Jon Herskovitz

 

2018-07-17T171524Z_1_LYNXMPEE6G1BU_RTROPTP_4_TEXAS-EXECUTION.JPG

Death Row inmate Christopher Young is shown in this undated handout photo provided July 16, 2018. Texas Department of Criminal Justice/Handout via REUTERS

 

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas executed a man on Tuesday for murdering a store owner during a robbery in 2004, despite calls from some relatives of the victim that his life be spared.

 

Christopher Young, 34, was put to death by lethal injection at the state's death chamber in the city of Huntsville for the murder of Hasmukh Patel at his convenience store in San Antonio, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said.

 

Young became the 13th U.S. inmate put to death this year, and the 553rd in Texas since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, the most of any state. Prior to Young's lethal injection, Texas had carried out seven executions so far this year.

 

Lawyers for Young, who is African-American, filed a last-minute appeal to halt his execution, arguing that race was a factor in the decision this month by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to deny a request to halt the execution.

 

A U.S. district court judge and an appeals court on Tuesday rejected the petition to spare his life.

 

Young's lawyers had noted that the board had recommended clemency in a similar case earlier this year that involved a white death row inmate.

 

Those arguing for clemency, which was backed by the murder victim's son, Mitesh Patel, wanted his sentence commuted to life in prison.

 

In his final statement, Young said: "I want to make sure the Patel family knows I love them like they love me. Make sure the kids in the world know I’m being executed and those kids I’ve been mentoring keep this fight going," according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

 

Texas contended that Young deserved to die for the killing, which came shortly after he had sexually assaulted and carjacked a woman.

 

"Young provides no direct evidence that any member of the board acted with racial animus," Texas said in a legal filing.

 

The parole board has not commented on its decision to deny the clemency request.

 

Mitesh Patel said Young's contrition over the crime and his work to help others in prison were among the factors that led him and other family members to support clemency, the Texas Tribune reported.

 

Patel told a rally last week in support of the clemency bid that Young's execution would not "take us toward any positive outcome."

 

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Lisa Shumaker)

 
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-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-18
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So...let me get that straight: the family of the victim supported the call for clemency!

One of the main arguments FOR the death- penalty was, that it would provide some form of closure for the victims' family!

Isn't the closure point basically out of the window, if the family asks for clemency?

What is the point, law officials and supporters of the archaic death-penalty, are actually making here?

 

 

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3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

So long sucker........one down, many, many more to go, and that ain't got anything to do with race !

2004 until now living on tax payers money. Why does it take so long to kill a murderer? Please don't give me the "appeals" BS. When no doubt is there then kill them. Push the child molesters to the front of the list.

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9 minutes ago, taipan1949 said:

2004 until now living on tax payers money. Why does it take so long to kill a murderer? Please don't give me the "appeals" BS. When no doubt is there then kill them. Push the child molesters to the front of the list.

Plus one Elon Musk for that matter !

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44 minutes ago, taipan1949 said:

2004 until now living on tax payers money. Why does it take so long to kill a murderer? Please don't give me the "appeals" BS. When no doubt is there then kill them. Push the child molesters to the front of the list.

It has been pointed out numerous times, that an inmate on death- row and the death- penalty is actually way more expensive, then being in prison for life!

And "doubt" is actually the most important point of the argument!

4% of executed "criminals" (on average) turn out to be (or have been) innocent of the crime convicted!

2 good points against capital punishment...unless your argument is a bout revenge and bloodthirst...:coffee1: 

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2 hours ago, taipan1949 said:

2004 until now living on tax payers money. Why does it take so long to kill a murderer? Please don't give me the "appeals" BS. When no doubt is there then kill them. Push the child molesters to the front of the list.

"Push the child molesters to the front of the list."......   No ! !   Put the child murderers to the front of the list.  Then other murderers.. then the child molesters and people who perform third trimester partial birth abortions simply for convenience reasons. 

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3 hours ago, DM07 said:

So...let me get that straight: the family of the victim supported the call for clemency!

One of the main arguments FOR the death- penalty was, that it would provide some form of closure for the victims' family!

Isn't the closure point basically out of the window, if the family asks for clemency?

What is the point, law officials and supporters of the archaic death-penalty, are actually making here?

 

 

He will not re-offend, that is one significant point.

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1 minute ago, mserror said:

He will not re-offend, that is one significant point.

One might think, that re-offending is off the table, with a life- long sentence!

But that is just me, of course!

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2 hours ago, DM07 said:

It has been pointed out numerous times, that an inmate on death- row and the death- penalty is actually way more expensive, then being in prison for life!

And "doubt" is actually the most important point of the argument!

4% of executed "criminals" (on average) turn out to be (or have been) innocent of the crime convicted!

2 good points against capital punishment...unless your argument is a bout revenge and bloodthirst...:coffee1: 

 

4% of exuted ones innocent?

no bother mate - small price to pay compared to the number of innocent kills performed by the US around in the world on a yearly basis

 

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4 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

4% of exuted ones innocent?

no bother mate - small price to pay compared to the number of innocent kills performed by the US around in the world on a yearly basis

 

4 out of a hundred- to much to be comfortable with the death penalty!

My opinion, of course!

...and whataboutism is never a good argument!

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2 hours ago, DM07 said:

It has been pointed out numerous times, that an inmate on death- row and the death- penalty is actually way more expensive, then being in prison for life!

And "doubt" is actually the most important point of the argument!

4% of executed "criminals" (on average) turn out to be (or have been) innocent of the crime convicted!

2 good points against capital punishment...unless your argument is a bout revenge and bloodthirst...:coffee1: 

 

Adopt the China model. Tried, if guilty sentenced, if death shot and family billed for cost of execution.

 

Might or might not deter others, but sure don't have many repeat offenders.

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Just now, Baerboxer said:

 

Adopt the China model. Tried, if guilty sentenced, if death shot and family billed for cost of execution.

 

Might or might not deter others, but sure don't have many repeat offenders.

 

The only caveat I'd have to that is I'm sure many a political prisoner has died that way. But, if tried fairly, DNA evidenced (and often CCTV), then send them to Hell swiftly. Child rapists/murderers step that way please.

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No one mentions the sexually assaulted (raped?) carjacked (what does carjack got to do with being raped?) woman, just the store keeper. Amazing how benevolent prisoners are once they are in Prison convicted of their crimes and sentenced to death. One less scum in the chow line.

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Guest Jerry787

only vile, meschine,  courts, judges and people may in name of whatsoever justice, kill or approve to kill another human being.
 

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3 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

no bother mate - small price to pay compared to the number of innocent kills performed by the US around in the world on a yearly basis

 

It'd sure be a personal problem if it turned out to be you that was wrongly convicted and faced execution.

 

 

 

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14 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

It'd sure be a personal problem if it turned out to be you that was wrongly convicted and faced execution.

 

 

 

 

yes, couldn't disagree with that

 

and as DM07 said above

 

...and whataboutism is never a good argument!

 

I agree with that also

 

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7 hours ago, DM07 said:

So...let me get that straight: the family of the victim supported the call for clemency!

One of the main arguments FOR the death- penalty was, that it would provide some form of closure for the victims' family!

Isn't the closure point basically out of the window, if the family asks for clemency?

What is the point, law officials and supporters of the archaic death-penalty, are actually making here?

 

 

 

6 hours ago, DM07 said:

It has been pointed out numerous times, that an inmate on death- row and the death- penalty is actually way more expensive, then being in prison for life!

And "doubt" is actually the most important point of the argument!

4% of executed "criminals" (on average) turn out to be (or have been) innocent of the crime convicted!

2 good points against capital punishment...unless your argument is a bout revenge and bloodthirst...:coffee1: 

While I do agree with the points made in this case it should be noted only SOME of the victims family

asked for clemency, and I read nothing about the defendant proclaiming his innocence. The murder/robbery

along with the earlier sexual assault and carjacking make for a strong case for the death penalty.

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16 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

yes, couldn't disagree with that

 

and as DM07 said above

 

...and whataboutism is never a good argument!

 

I agree with that also

 

 

 

Louis Nizer once said "it's better to let 1000 guilty people go free than execute one innocent person.

 

Perhaps you and I take a different approach to the idea of "legally" killing an innocent person.

 

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8 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

4% of exuted ones innocent?

no bother mate - small price to pay compared to the number of innocent kills performed by the US around in the world on a yearly basis

 

4% of exuted ones innocent?

no bother mate - small price to pay 

I am really ashamed of the person who wrote that it is even scary some people could think that! 

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I strongly believe the victims family should have the right  (if they choose) to be on the parole board, when deciding clemency hearings. He was 20. His crime was terrible, but not heinous. If he was white, he wouldn't have been executed. 

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13 hours ago, Jerry787 said:

only vile, meschine,  courts, judges and people may in name of whatsoever justice, kill or approve to kill another human being.
 

 

You forgot to mention the perpetrator!  you take a life you deserve to die it's that simple 

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On 7/18/2018 at 8:23 AM, webfact said:

Lawyers for Young, who is African-American, filed a last-minute appeal to halt his execution, arguing that race was a factor in the decision this month by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to deny a request to halt the execution.

 

Playing the RACE CARD....

 

image.jpeg.586cc0e1f74bac991022208f1fc9533c.jpeg

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