Legal Commentary

Prosecutor Wants More Death in Mississippi

By TChris

Robert Smith, the district attorney of Hinds County, Mississippi, dismisses concerns that the death penalty is disproportionately imposed on nonwhite offenders. His evidence?

"I've visited Parchman [a maximum security prison]. It was when I was with the public defenders office and we toured death row, and I saw a lot of white guys," he said.

Well, if he saw "a lot of white guys," the system must be fair, right? Apparently he didn't notice the black guys.

Of the 64 inmates on death row now, 32 are black, 31 are white and one is Asian, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections' Web site.

The actual evidence that the death penalty disproportionately burdens nonwhite offenders contradicts the conclusions drawn by the DA after his stroll through death row. Smith's insistence that the death penalty is an effective crime deterrent is similarly based on perception rather than facts. (more ...)

Robert Shuler Smith said Wednesday he believes the death penalty is a crime deterrent. There have been 29 homicides in Jackson this year; there had been 18 at this time last year.

"If someone thinks that you can commit murder in Hinds County and either walk away from the crime or not face the death penalty, I believe that weakens the strength of our laws," he said. "The death penalty should be imposed more frequently or more often."

The death penalty has rarely been sought in Hinds County. The lower homicide rate in years past should be enough to persuade Smith that there's no correlation between crime rates and the use of the death penalty. If he wants to have an informed opinion rather than spouting knee-jerk rhetoric, he should start here.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 05, 2008 (boomark / email).