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Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Tue May 03, 2005 at 05:08:10 AM EST
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For the second time since 2003, a Puerto Rico jury has rejected the death penalty in a federal case. The New York Times reports:

A 12-member jury decided that Hernando Medina Villegas, 24, and Lorenzo Catalan Roman, 25, will face life imprisonment for shooting and killing a security guard while robbing an armored truck on March 27, 2002. If the jury had decided for the death penalty, it would have been the first time in nearly 80 years that someone charged in Puerto Rico would have faced execution.

You would think the feds would have learned their lesson in 2003 when Ashcroft intervened in a Puerto Rico case to demand that the death penalty be sought. Not only didn't the jury return a death verdict, it acquitted the two defendants of the underlying crime. As I said then:

How fitting! Ashcroft picks a case in which he thinks the crime is so bad and the defendants so awful that his intervention is warranted. So while the Puerto Rico Consitution does not allow for the death penalty, Ashcroft says tough, the feds will step in and make you have one. The case is tried to a jury the past few weeks, and after three days of deliberations, the jury finds both defendants not guilty. No conviction, no penalty....no death penalty.

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    • Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico | 13 comments (13 topical)
    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#1)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:39 PM EST
    Good, but why is it that puerto rico is still part of the U.S., After all when i was in puerto rico all i saw was hate for this country. by the way both will pay for the murder of that poor guy for a long time to come, a real long time i hope.

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#2)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:39 PM EST
    do not trust the NYT... Their stories are full of deceit and lies which do not reflect the viewpoints of the vast majority of Americans whom are right wing fellators...

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#3)
    by Mreddieb on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:40 PM EST
    I applaud their decision. I only hope that it was a thoughtful ethical choice and not a decision based on obedience to an un-democraticly selected leader(Pope).

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#4)
    by Mreddieb on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:40 PM EST
    Johnny A news paper is supposed to REPORT news not make right wing propaganda! Because you don't like the truth does not mean you no longer should tell others not to trust the truth.

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#5)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:40 PM EST
    Why do Puerto Ricans hate Amerika?

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#6)
    by Mreddieb on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:40 PM EST
    Che Puerto Ricans don't Hate America. They just LOVE, really Love Puerto Rico. I've been there and I love the people, the beaches, the island, and most of all the People!

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#7)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:40 PM EST
    Ed...I believe Johnny was being sarcastic. He's one of the good guys. Could Puerto Rico's high number of Catholics have something to do with this? Catholics don't like state sanctioned murder.

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#8)
    by Mreddieb on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:40 PM EST
    Johnny I guess you might say I was refuting the imaginary wing you were quoting! Great snark! Thanks kdog, Again! jeeze :) lol

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#9)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:40 PM EST
    You can't be too careful Ed, I used to think all of Ann Coulter's rants were satire!

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#10)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:41 PM EST
    Ed, Yes I plan to visit an island near there sometime this year.

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:41 PM EST
    Yeah, Johnny's definitely one of the good guys. And I owe him an apology for a previous death-penalty post, when I completely ran over his tongue while it was still in his cheek. My bad, man, I'm cool with you. Hope you're cool with me, too. It amazes me that the feds would try for a death sentence in any outlying US territory (including DC, which would only be outlying if the Delmarva Peninsula got washed away). Last I checked, there was no place outside of the Lower 48 that had it. I know federal law supercedes state law in federal cases, but the AG ought to know that getting death sentences would be much tougher in those areas.

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#12)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:42 PM EST
    to:che's People in puerto rico love the ideals of the great myth and the great lie. and yes ed beckmann is right the people love the money that comes into that place and love only its own ideals, that is the reason so many cops are killed each year, the people love the ideals of Cuba and the ideals of that Red myth of total evil as long as it fights are political low life system. but that has little to do with this death penalty,I say stop the state run murder system, I do feel for villegas and roman, becuase both will live inside hell for many years to come. "People" see it for what it is, not what you think it is. I am always watching be good little ones.

    Re: Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico (none / 0) (#13)
    by Peter G on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:42 PM EST
    Viva la bonita bandera!

    Feds Lose Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico | 13 comments (13 topical)