Chandra Levy's Parents Want Life , Not Death as Penalty for Murder

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 05:06:10 PM EST
Tags: Chandra Levy (all tags)

Share This: Digg!

The AP reports Robert Levy, in discussing the imminent arrest of a suspect in the murder of his daughter Chandra Levy, says:

Robert Levy said he and his wife, Susan, were not told the identity of the person to be arrested "but we all know who it is." He would not elaborate but said they would favor a life sentence for the killer.

"If someone is executed, they really don't suffer too much," he said.

Here are some other reasons, in their own words, family members of other murder victims have for opposing the death penalty.

[Note to the AP: The man about to be arrested may or may not be the killer of Chandra. While it's apparent that Mr. Levy would oppose the death penalty for whoever the killer is, this article can be read to imply the suspect is the killer. Future editions should make that clear.]

< Saturday Open Thread | Pentagon Report: Guantanamo Complies With Geneva Conventions >

Legal

Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice. TalkLeft does not give legal advice.

TalkLeft is not responsible for and often disagrees with material posted in the comments section. Read at your own risk.

Chandra Levy's Parents Want Life , Not Death as Penalty for Murder | 9 comments (9 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

I am delighted to see this ... (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by Meteor Blades on Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 05:17:56 PM EST

...and I agree entirely with Mr. Levy's views. One can be against the death penalty (and feel the criminal-justice system is a mess for too little focus on rehabilitation and too much on locking up drug-related offenders) and still favor a tough-on-real-crime approach.

Life without parole is a tough-on-crime approach that I favor. Capital punishment is too easy.

My wife and I both include these codas in our wills:

Special Circumstances: If I should be the victim of a murder, and the perpetrator of this crime is caught, tried and convicted; or if said perpetrator confesses to this murder; I instruct my attorney-in-fact to implore the prosecutor, jury, judge or others adjudicating this case not to seek or impose the death penalty, a punishment I oppose under all circumstances.

: Good point. (none / 0) (#3)
by atdleft on Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 05:24:52 PM EST

One can be against the death penalty (and feel the criminal-justice system is a mess for too little focus on rehabilitation and too much on locking up drug-related offenders) and still favor a tough-on-real-crime approach.
Life without parole is a tough-on-crime approach that I favor. Capital punishment is too easy.
And especially in places like California with such a HUGE backlog of capital convictions, the death penalty is just too ridiculously lengthy and costly. We may even end up saving money on court proceedings by adopting universal "LWOP".

: I never thought of providing that provision (none / 0) (#8)
by befuddledvoter on Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 04:52:38 PM EST

in a will. What a great idea!! I am opposed to the death penalty under all circumstances.

It's good logic... (none / 0) (#2)
by atdleft on Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 05:21:29 PM EST

Especially here in CA, where capital cases can drag on for decades. There's no real point of having the death penalty other than giving folks a sense of "revenge". Life imprisonment is an appropriate "tough on crime penalty" that can actually work for everyone.

as a bargaining tool (none / 0) (#4)
by jharp on Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 07:06:46 PM EST

Against the death penalty but always liked how it could used as a bargaining chip in plea deals.

However, I have since reevaluated my position.

It needs to be ended. In all instances.

But, But, But (none / 0) (#5)
by msobel on Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 10:37:58 AM EST

Fox News announced that Gary Condi had been convicted many times. Surely that will be the basis for a reasonable doubt case for whoever is wrongfully accused of this horrendous Democratic crime.

since the crime occured in DC, (none / 0) (#6)
by cpinva on Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 12:29:07 PM EST

and DC doesn't have the death penalty, what the levy's want is particularly irrelevant.

unless this can somehow be turned into a federal crime (asserting it took place in rock creek park, for example), life w/o parole would be the maximum punishment.

bear in mind, just because the presumed killer is now located in CA, doesn't mean the crime happened there.

: But if the case can be tried (none / 0) (#7)
by DFLer on Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 04:04:35 PM EST

in a Federal court, can't the death penalty apply?
This is why the Dru Sjodin murder was tried in fed court (because of kidnapping charges?) North Dakota has no DP. The feds do.

victim statements (none / 0) (#9)
by diogenes on Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 05:32:19 PM EST

Of course, since victim statements presumably should have no relevance in determining guilt or penalty then I guess that what the Levys think shouldn't matter much. Or has the defense bar agreed universally to the relevance of victim statements?