Justin Thurber
I have often said that I am neither an advocate for or against the death penalty. I do not believe that the death penalty is a deterrent for anyone. I have also said however, there are some crimes that are so heinous and vicious, and that have proven 100% who the perpetrator is, that deserve the death penalty. That being said I also know that a capital case is much more expensive for a state. There are extra funds associated with those who ask for a public defender, which is a large percentage of cases. Then, if the prosecution succeeds there are automatic appeals that last years, sometimes decades and again, the state is paying. I understand all of this. What I do not understand is why the state of Kansas continues to prosecute cases asking for the death penalty when they have not executed anyone since 1965. We all know that the federal government abolished the death penalty in the early 1970's as unconstitutional. Since about the mid-1970s many s...