Tony Bennett

Perhaps a more credible theory doing the rounds than a lone disgruntled Serb nationalist/extremist is that Jill Dando had begun serious research into organised child abuse, child pornography on the internet and paedophile rings and was beginning to get names...

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Tony Bennett

Views on the death penalty in the United States: Usually between 65% and 80% favouring the death penalty in recent years. A broadly similar percentage to those in the U.K. and indeed across the globe:

+++++++++++++++++++++

GALLUP POLLS

Are you in favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder?

For
Against
No Opinion

2007 Oct 4-7
69%
27%
04%

2006 May 2-5
65%
28%
07%

2005 Oct 13-16
64%
30%
06%

2005 May 2-5
74%
23%
03%

2004 May 2-4
71%
26%
03%

2003 Oct 6-8
64%
32%
04%

2003 May 19-21
70%
28%
02%

2003 May 5-7
74%
24%
02%

2002 October 10-13
70%
25%
05%

2002 May 6-9
72%
25%
03%

2001 Oct 11-14
68%
26%
06%

2001 May 10-14
65%
27%
08%

2001 Feb 19-21
67%
25%
08%

2000 Aug 29-Sep 5
67%
28%
05%

2000 Jun 23-25
66%
26%
08%

2000 Feb 14-15
66%
28%
06%

1999 Feb 8-9
71%
22%
07%

1995 May 11-14
77%
13%
10%

1994 Sep 6-7
80%
16%
04%

1991 Jun 13-16
76%
18%
06%

1988 Sep 25-Oct 1
79%
16%
05%

1988 Sep 9-11
79%
16%
05%

1986 Jan 10-13
70%
22%
08%

1985 Jan 11-14
72%
20%
08%

1985 Nov 11-18
75%
17%
08%

1981 Jan 30-Feb 2
66%
25%
09%

1978 Mar 3-6
62%
27%
11%

1976 Apr 9-12
66%
26%
08%

1972 Nov 10-13
57%
32%
11%

1972 Mar 3-5
50%
41%
09%

1971 Oct 29-Nov 2
49%
40%
11%

1969 Jan 23-28
51%
40%
09%

1967 Jun 2-7
54%
38%
08%

1966 May 19-24
42%
47%
11%

1965 Jan 7-12
45%
43%
12%

1960 Mar 2-7
53%
36%
11%

1957 Aug 29-Sep 4
47%
34%
18%

1956 Mar 29-Apr 3
53%
34%
13%

1953 Nov 1-5
68%
25%
07%

1937 Dec 1-6
60%
33%
07%

Are you in favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder?

(Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,010 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Oct. 4-7, 2007. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.)

For
Against
No Opinion


Conservative
81%
16%
03%

Republican
81%
16%
03%

Over 50 Male
78%
18%
04%

Male
76%
20%
04%

18-49 Male
74%
22%
04%

West
73%
25%
02%

Some College
73%
22%
05%

White
73%
23%
04%

Midwest
72%
24%
04%

High School or Less
72%
23%
05%

Total College
67%
29%
04%

Independent
67%
28%
05%

East
66%
30%
04%

South
66%
29%
05%

College Grad
66%
30%
04%

Over 50 Female
66%
30%
04%

Moderate
64%
32%
04%

Female
62%
33%
05%

18-49 Female
60%
37%
03%

Democrat
60%
35%
05%

Liberal
59%
36%
05%

Post Grad
57%
41%
02%

Non White
55%
41%
04%

Why do you favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?
(Asked of death penalty supporters)

May
2003
Feb.
2001
Feb.
2000
Jun.
1991

Eye for an Eye/Punishment Fits Crime
37%
48%
40%
40%

They Deserve It
13%
06%
05%
05%

Save Taxpayers Money/Prison Costs
11%
20%
12%
12%

Acts as Deterrent/Sets an Example
11%
10%
08%
08%

Incapacitation/They Will Repeat Crime
07%
06%
04%
04%

Biblical Reasons
05%
03%
03%
03%

Depends on Type of Crime Committed
04%
06%
06%
06%

To Serve Justice
04%
01%
03%
02%

Fair Punishment
03%
01%
06%
06%

If No Doubt They Committed Crime
03%
02%
00%
00%

Support/Believe in Death Penalty
02%
06%
00%
00%

They Cannot be Rehabilitated
02%
02%
01%
01%

Relieves Prison Overcrowding
01%
02%
00%
00%

Life Sentences Don’t Mean Life
01%
02%
00%
00%

Other
04%
03%
10%
10%

No Opinion
02%
01%
03%
03%

Generally speaking, do you believe the death penalty is applied fairly or unfairly in this country today?

Fairly
Unfairly
No opinion

2007 Oct
57%
38%
05%

2006 May
60%
35%
04%

2005 May
61%
35%
04%

2004 May
55%
39%
06%

2003 May
60%
37%
03%

2002 May
53%
40%
07%

2000 June
51%
41%
08%

What do you think should be the penalty for murder - the death penalty, or life imprisonment with absolutely no possibility of parole?


Death Penalty - Life Imprisonment - No Opinion
2006 May 47% 48% 05%
2005 May 56% 39% 05%
2004 May 50% 46% 04%
2003 May 53% 44% 03%
2002 May 52% 43% 05%
2001 May 52% 43% 04%
2001 Feb 52% 42% 04%
2000 Sept 50% 47% 04%
2000 Feb 52% 37% 11%
1999 Feb 56% 38% 06%
1997 Aug 61% 29% 10%
1994 June 50% 32% 18%
1993 Oct 59% 29% 12%
1992 Apr 50% 37% 13%
1991 June 53% 35% 11%
1986 Jan 55% 35% 10%
1985 Jan 56% 34% 10%

In your opinion, is the death penalty imposed too often today or not often enough?

Too Often
Not Enough
About Right
No Opinion
2007 Oct 21% 49% 26% 04%
2006 May 21% 51% 25% 03%
2005 May 20% 53% 24% 03%
2004 May 23% 48% 25% 04%
2003 May 23% 48% 26% 03%
2002 May 22% 47% 24% 07%
2001 May 21% 38% 34% 07%
1999 Feb 25% 64% 04% 07%

Harris Poll

"Do you believe in capital punishment - that is, the death penalty - or are you opposed to it?"

Favor - Oppose - Don't Know
Feb 5-11, 2008 63% 30% 07%
Dec 10-16, 2003 69% 22% 09%
July 2001 67% 26% 07%
2000 64% 25% 11%
1999 71% 21% 08%
1997 75% 22% 03%
1983 68% 27% 05%
1976 67% 25% 08%
1973 59% 31% 10%
1970 47% 42% 11%
1969 48% 38% 14%
1965 38% 47% 15%

ABC NEWS / WASHINGTON POST

Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?

Favor - Oppose - Don't Know
2005 April 65% 26% 09%
2001 Apr 63% 28% 09%
2000 June 63% 27% 10%
2000 Jan 64% 27% 09%
1998 Aug 69% 27% 04%
1996 Aug 77% 19% 04%

FOX NEWS / OPINION DYNAMICS POLL

Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of premeditated murder?

Favor - Oppose - Not Sure
2005 March 69% 24% 08%
2003 June 69% 23% 08%
2001 June 68% 22% 10%
2001 Apr 66% 23% 11%
2000 June 68% 24% 08%
2000 Feb 67% 22% 11%
1998 Jan 74% 18% 08%
1997 June 73% 18% 09%
1997 May 76% 17% 07%

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kernow

Whatever your personal views of me are, I still maintain more people across the Country would agree with my views than yours! At least you have proved that we have at least one person on this forum who will not be too unhappy under the EU Yoke, because they know murderers will at least have a long and happy life!

London Orbital

If this weirdo had been hung 8 years ago it would have been no great loss, only slightly regrettable.

You should balance it against all the evil scum that ought to be strung up, which would relieve some of the congestion in our prisons too.

John Connor

You think that's more likely than we were at war with Serbia and had that week killed a number of their TV personalities in an intentional bombing raid on one of their main TV stations, prompting a Serb agent to take revenge?

Lone, disgruntled Serb nationalist? We were at war with them!

23/4/1999: Attack on RTS

26/4/1999: Death of Jill Dando.

__________________
There are three types of people in this world: Libertarians, fascists and those who haven't been paying attention.

Users on ignore list: Akria, Besoeker, Clippo, david H, Ian C.

Clippo

I accept that I’ve only seen the evidence reported in the press about Barry George’s possible involvement in Jill Dando’s murder and this is no substitute for being on a jury at the main event, however, I still think he is as guilty as hell.

In my teens, I used to play cards for ‘pennies’ with my mates. One of them, always short of cash, at the end of a losing streak use to throw up the ‘double or quits’ challenge, - (on the turn of a card, if his was higher than yours, his debt would be quit, the other way it would be doubled. And if he lost this first time he would ‘double or quits’ again). The first time he got away with it but the rest of us twigged quickly that the successive probability of ‘double or quits’ obviously favoured him because we always used to stop at ‘quits’.

So, what’s this to do with this case and the law generally. Well, it seems to me that in recent years, more & more appeals against conviction are being made and the probability of being let off therefore increases. I think there are figures to support this.

I agree above with C-Steam & Kernow that there should be the death penalty for ‘certain’ murders. In all cases of ‘murder’ and thus death penalty, (& the law may need to clarified on some definitions)*, there should be an automatic judicial review of the case by, say, several judges and other parties ( a mixed ‘jury’ if you like), to examine the ‘weight’ of the different parts of the evidence in that case).

It will be ‘telling’ what the police decide to do in this case.

(* I think also, but can't be bothered to find it now, that some legal committee has recently called for an increase in psychological definitions to let more criminals off).

Tony Bennett

Posted across from a contributor on the 'Anorak' Forum:

QUOTE

Miss Dando was killed with a special bullet from a specially made one shot weapon which required specialist engineering knowledge and specialist engineering equipment. George had an IQ of 75 and none of the above equipment. The police knew this. The CPS knew this yet went ahead with a prosecution of an innocent man. Let us hope there will be an enquiry into WHY the real killer has been allowed off scot free.

UNQUOTE

John Connor wrote: "You think that's more likely than we were at war with Serbia and had that week killed a number of their TV personalities in an intentional bombing raid on one of their main TV stations, prompting a Serb agent to take revenge? Lone, disgruntled Serb nationalist? We were at war with them! - 23/4/1999: Attack on RTS...26/4/1999: Death of Jill Dando.

REPLY: I had forgotten the close proximity of these events. Clearly you have a valid point. I remain doubtful about the 'Serbian revenge killing' explanation, though

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The Bear

Barry George has been found to be not guilty and he is, in my opinion, entitled to compensation on the basis that the evidence presented at his trial was incomplete and skewed by the prosecution and it was that which resulted in him loosing eight years of his life in jail.

I see another issue involved, possibly a much bigger one.

That a man with a problem, a man who in years past would have been “intercepted” by the police because of some of the things he was getting up to and so probably have been living in a low security psychiatric hospital of some sort, perfectly happy with life, but instead was wandering the streets.

One of many such people who, in this case by a cruel twist of fate and disingenuous authorities, was made a scapegoat since it enabled a box to be ticked and the man potentially forgotten.

The real killer of Jill Dando? We’ll probably now ever know since any trail won’t just be cold, it’ll have disappeared.

Barry George and those like him? Still left to fend the best they can, ending up in jail in the absence of places of asylum for them when they break some minor law or misbehave in a way that gets them in trouble or, as in the case of Barry, banged up on a life sentence which was a miscarriage of justice three times over.

Care in the community is a farce.

Barry has been let down

Jill has been let down

The Dando family have been let down

We ALL have been let down

We need places of safety for such people to go to, asylums in the real meaning of the word, for those who need them.

Clippo and London Orbital, I have an opinion of your comments. Best I keep it to myself.

__________________
I am an old man. I have eaten much salt.

Anthony Butcher

I remember thinking at the time how weak the evidence against him was. The media showed pictures of him in military uniforms, claimed he had replica weapons and had a fleck of gunpowder on his clothing. All of this could apply to me because I regularly play airsoft (like paintball, but using replica BB guns).

__________________
If you care about what's in your food and where it comes from, then get it labelled!
Label My Food - http://www.labelmyfood.org.uk

Clippo

The Bear wrote:-
Not like you to change a habit of a lifetime

I sense an attempt to ‘demonise’ me & London Orbital in this comment. If this is the case, you should consider this:- In post#12, Tony Bennett says between 65-80% of people, on average, support the death penalty for murder. So, if your comment was directed at me ( & London Orbital) for that reason then please include C-Steam, Kernow and 4 out of 5 other posters here. (I’ve been on this forum a long time. This subject has come up before and many people who I’ve disagreed with on other matters have clearly been in favour of the Death Penalty).

For my part I am saying I think there should be the death penalty for certain killings and if the death penalty is pronounced on somebody found guilty then, no matter what the case, an immediate separate inquiry should be mandatory. This enquiry would look at the evidence & all other legal aspects of the case to see if there are any weaknesses in procedure or the respective weightings of each piece of evidence is disproportionate. I believe the legal profession has considerable (but never enough) expertise to prevent some of the horrendous miscarriages of justice that have occurred in recent years but that process needs to continue.
In the case of Barry George, (or more likely in a future similar one – because sure as ‘eggs-is- eggs’ there will be), sufficient doubt would be raised to recommend a downgrading of the sentence from Death.

As for ‘who-killed-Jill-Dando’, I am still think it was Barry George. Our police have, deservedly in my opinion, one of the best track records in the world for catching criminals – (I know that comment will throw some posters into ‘conspiratorial apoplexy’ but I’m not going to comment on that further) – but it is they who must have considered ALL options. To have taken this case to trial, both the police and public prosecutor must have thought there was a strong case against George. Unfortunately, in a whole year after her death, any person who was responsible for it could have easily destroyed the evidence – even somebody who is supposedly ‘a sad loner of low IQ’.