Seeking the Death Penalty

The other day, there was an article on the death penalty with defense lawyers complaining about the fact that the State automatically seeks the death penalty for all those arrested for first-degree murder no matter the circumstances. One public defender said "It is crazy." Their biggest argument is the cost of trial, not the fact that a cold blooded killer might die. Defense attorneys complain about the amount of work they must do and they say it costs the State unnecessary money.

Since when did first-degree murder get narrowed down to cost? Since when did a guy stabbing his brother to death 69 times get leniency from a death penalty pursuit? The Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty is not a violation of the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The Sixth Amendment does not require a jury trial in capital crime cases.

Read the PBPost article on lawyers question necessity of local state attorney's pursuit of death penalty.

The definition of First degree murder is any murder that is willful and premeditated. Felony murder is typically first degree.

There are 30 death penalty cases pending in Palm beach County. Lake Worth gets top billing again as out of the six cases that were highlighted, five involved either the killer or the victim living in Lake Worth.