Wednesday, June 13, 2007

New execution date set in Georgia

John Washington Hightower is scheduled to be executed June 26 in Georgia. If executed it would be the first execution in Georgia in nearly two years. Hightower was convicted of the July 12, 1987, slayings of Dorothy Hightower, Evelyn Reaves and Sandra Reaves.

At trial his prosecutor used 6 of his 7 peremptories to strike blacks from the jury. His trial prosecutor historically used 90% of his strikes to remove people of color from juries in the capital cases he had tried and previously had written memos on striking blacks from juries.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

And in contrast can you please inform us of how many challenges the defense attorney used to strike Caucasian prospective jurors?

Anonymous said...

I AM SORRY FOR MR HIGHTOWERS FAMILY IN THEIR LOSS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE 3 LIVES HE TOOK AND THEIR FAMILIES.THEY HAD NOBODY TO STAND IN FOR THEM AT THE TIME OF THEIR DEATHS. THEY ONLY HAD HIGHTOWER AND THE GUNSHOTS TO THEIR HEADS. MAYBE THEY CAN REST IN PEACE NOW!!! THE DEATH PENALTY IS THERE FOR THOSE WHO HAD NO CHOICE. IT IS THERE TO MAKE SURE THE ONES WHO TOOK LIVES GIVE THEIR LIVES IN RETURN. AN EYE FOR AN EYE. WHAT IF IT WERE YOUR LOVED ONE THAT YOU LOST. WOULD YOU WANT THE PERSON THAT TOOK THEIR LIVES TO LIVE IN PRISON TILL THEIR DEATH ON YOUR DIME? THEY HAD A CHOICE, THE VICTIMS NEVER HAD A CHOICE!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Anyone who hurts a child in anyway should be put the death.

Anonymous said...

two wrongs dont make a right

james ulrich said...

anonymous,

are you suggesting that opposition to the death penalty is based on sympahy for the murderer and a lack of concern for the crime victim? It's about the enormity of what we all do when we think we can kill people. His crime doesn't make society right in killing him. You don't know the dead get any peace of mind from execution. And you assume that the survivors automatically need reciprocal death to be satisfied. But you don't know they're satisfied. Even if you had a survey showing the majority of survivors wanted the execution, that wouldn't tell you they actually got closure from it. I think the studies show they don't get closure from it even if they're glad it happened. It doesn't solve the problem to get revenge. Revenge isn't justice. Getting revenge just feeds the lust of outrage. Violence begets more of itself. It creates the need for more suffering.

Yes I'd want them in prison. It's a worse penalty than death to live without your freedom. We need to affirm the value of life by swift judgement and punishment of the guilty and protection of the rights of all. Capital death doesn't serve this purpose of justice.

jim ulrich