I do not want to go OT, or make this "all about me," so I'm gonna make it brief and also address the thread topic
My son was injured at a few months old when his bio dad violently, and, unfortunately, I believe with intent to kill, shook him, blinding him and wounding him severely, but not
immediately killing him. He was charged with a felony injury to a child, and took a plea agreement, but, in part thanks to my testimony at his sentencing, the judge over-ruled it and gave him the maximum sentence. My son actually died from the injuries a few months after his killer went to prison. While there is significant evidence that he died as a result of the daily multiple seizures which were the result of the shaking, for a variety of reasons the state did not choose to pursue further charges, and I moved away.
The worst part about the sentencing, even worse than the "she should have had an abortion" carp, was that when killer addressed court, he only had to face the judge. When I testified, first I had to say my address in open court then sit and face him and his family and a bunch of strangers who were there for no apparent reason while begging the judge to punish him to the fullest extent of the law.
Thank you all for your support and kind words, which truly mean a lot to me.
Please ensure everyone you know understands the dangers of shaking a baby.
I agree that in a sense, the state does want to kill AL's client. However, there are many problems with that statement and it's appropriateness to the context. First, there's the "want," which implies an ability to desire. "The State" is technically a government establishment or entity or something, at least that's how I think of it, and therefore cannot "want" anything.
Although, technically, the voters make up the state, and have voted that they want people who kill other people to end up dead. The only way to legally make them end up dead is to kill them.
I guess when it comes down to it, it's not the word "kill" in that sentence which I really have the problem with, it's the word "want." She's trying to humanize the entity of "The State," in order to make Floridans and anyone else who supports the death penalty guilty feel "guilty" about it, and/or to deflect from the real issue, which is a duct-taped little mouth. And for a variety of reasons previously mentioned, too, and probably some we couldn't even guess. (Want to do a shout out here to sleutherontheside for her (yeah?) willingness to listen to AL's lectures so that I don't have to!)
While it's a great topic for hashing out, and royally ticks me off, as described earlier, I agree that this tactic won't really make a difference when the rest of the evidence is included in the picture.
Thank you for your time