Home > California Death Records > Lethal Injection a Life Saver?

Lethal Injection a Life Saver?

$1 billion cost info at http://aclunc.org/cutthis

ACLU related videos at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6AE692952E99F09F

The satiric look at California’s search for lethal injection drugs for capital punishment on last month’s “The Colbert Report” was made possible by ACLU attorneys who used open government laws to gain access to documents revealing both the wasteful bureaucracy and ironic contradictions inherent in California’s death penalty, as I show in this video.

The clips of Stephen Colbert come from the December 15, 2010, segment of “The Colbert Report” titled “Tiny Triumphs – Lethal Drug Shortage” available online at http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/368731/december-15-2010/tiny-triumphs—lethal-drug-shortage

The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California provided the clips of Staff Attorney Michael Risher, Staff Attorney Linda Lye, and Death Penalty Policy Director Natasha Minsker especially for this video.

The ACLU of Northern California logo and “Cut This” webpage on the $1 billion cost of California’s death penalty is available online at http://aclunc.org/cutthis

Duration : 0:9:45


[youtube 9vBJ3oyLkzk]

  1. 1ike3
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:12 | #1

    There’s a War!!! …
    There’s a War!!! give them the choice to Die by injection or by bullet or bomb.

  2. buugiman78
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:12 | #2

    @Dersabom Let’s …
    @Dersabom Let’s look at the facts regarding the death penalty. 1) There’s no evidence it reduces criminality. Some studies in fact suggest the opposite. 2) There’s no evidence it helps people cope with their pain and suffering. 3) You don’t see a lot of white collar people on death row do you. 4) There are countless of cases where people have been wrongly executed. 5) It’s more expensive… But yes, if you think that primitive revenge is more important than reason then by all means!

  3. buugiman78
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:12 | #3

    @Parasome Yes, but …
    @Parasome Yes, but no 😉 The problem is that no licensed physician will take part in executions since they all swear the hippocratic oath to save lives. Hence, the ones administering the drugs aren’t actually physicians or health professionals but prison guards with some “extra” training.

  4. lianghaochen
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:12 | #4

    @Parasome doctors …
    @Parasome doctors don’t actually perform the injection or participate in the process.

  5. DezTurkisch
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #5

    @wybo2 Although …
    @wybo2 Although technically those are two different situations. I’m not saying I support lethal injection or not, but someone who is administered it -has- been found guilty of a crime, and then it’s decided that that crime deserves the death penalty. Whether or not they deserve it, people have decided that what they’ve done deserves such a consequence.
    I don’t know if either one should be allowed, but they are different circumstances and should be taken into consideration separately.

  6. LegallyBlindGamer
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #6

    Actually, sodium …
    Actually, sodium theopentol is what puts inmates to sleep so the state can do the execution in the first place.

  7. LilTom895
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #7

    thank you for high …
    thank you for high quality videos and information!

  8. CanadaDan1971
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #8

    @Dersabom I’m a …
    @Dersabom I’m a terrible person because I believe life in prison is a better choice than execution? I think you’re way too emotionally invested in this argument and I’d suggest exploring the idea that people can disagree you and not be totally and completely wrong in every way. You might want to try and see the other side of arguments. PS: Stop suggesting that execution is the only choice of punishment. Life in prison works just as well and it’s cheaper.

  9. Dersabom
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #9

    OF COURSE THEY NEED …
    OF COURSE THEY NEED THE DEATH PENALTY! If you honestly believe that a psychopath deserves to live then you are a terrible person. A sadistic person capable of murder never has any potential to redeem themselves. (read ” sociopath next door” for additional info) ps sociopaths are NOT the same as psychopaths.

  10. Eman6881
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #10

    Jshowa2, they would …
    Jshowa2, they would work it off with honest labor, such as farming and mineing.

  11. mainestategop
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #11

    @realoldguy1969 Ah. …
    @realoldguy1969 Ah…. Another reason why high school dropouts shouldn’t vote.

  12. jshowa2
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #12

    Okay, so cutting …
    Okay, so cutting the death penalty will save $1 billion immediately, but you still have to move all death row inmates to life sentences. So, my question is, what are the long term cost implications on this? Sure it will save $90,000 extra, but then we’ll have to pay for the inmate to live in prison for several years, probably 30-40 guessing.

  13. jshowa2
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #13

    Okay. Lets humor …
    Okay. Lets humor the concept of life without the possibility of parole. That means the tax paying dollars of all the California citizens are going towards keeping a criminal alive, who did a major crime in order to get that sentence, until he dies of natural causes, in an already crowded prison system.

    That means the citizens are paying for his food, his incarceration, rehabilitation and recreation, etc.

    Anyone see the irony in this irony? Killing people actually saves money.

  14. manic2man
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #14

    I miss the old …
    I miss the old chain gangs. Organized crime may make an issue out of it (bringing dangerous criminals out into the open before their terms are up can come with a multitude of risks) but otherwise, it might be nice to actually have criminals give back to the community for awhile even if many are just going to be going back to crime after they leave.

  15. Adriangrosvenor
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:13 | #15

    lol kill by date, …
    lol kill by date, lmao

  16. bigbengamer
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #16

    If they want to …
    If they want to institute the death penalty, why not just let them die by harvesting their organs? the drugs they use in lethal injections ruin the entire organ system. If you simply harvest their organs, you’re essentially killing two birds with one stone: The condemned, and the organ waiting list.

    Or are the opponents to this the same people who believed the movies where those who recieved criminal organs became criminals themselves?

  17. grimmlock808
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #17

    Firing Line, …
    Firing Line, Guillotine or Hanging. Criminals on Death Row don’t deserve a peaceful death anyways, so just do that and save time and money. Yes, I understand it’s brutal but who really cares?

  18. realoldguy1969
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #18

    @mainestategop …
    @mainestategop obviously you were touched in the naughty zone by two priests, and loved it. There, that’s better.

  19. Zeldagigafan90210
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #19

    just tax the rich …
    just tax the rich more, that’s five billion more dollars into their budget. and anyone advocating against the tax increase would be sentenced to prison for five years. I don’t care what republicans think, them all.

  20. Parasome
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #20

    I think the person …
    I think the person who takes away another life needs to be put to death regardless of how much it cost to put him away. Just be glad California isn’t using $0.35 .223’s.

  21. Parasome
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #21

    LiberalViewer:

    You …
    LiberalViewer:

    You know what else is ironic?
    1. The doctor cleans the hypodermic needle with alcohol when the place it in the prisoner.
    2. Doctors swear under oath to save lives, even the doctor that performs the lethal injection.

  22. mainestategop
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #22

    @realoldguy1969 Try …
    @realoldguy1969 Try coming up with some better comebacks next time.

  23. mainestategop
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #23

    @KGR89 The death …
    @KGR89 The death penalty saves money and it keeps crime low but only when practiced right. Prison just rewards felons with free meals a bed and a sissy.

  24. mainestategop
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #24

    @MaudsPas From a …
    @MaudsPas From a lazy welfare recipient

  25. AboyNAmEDsued
    April 4th, 2011 at 16:14 | #25

    needle goes in, …
    needle goes in, needle comes out, no miscommunication

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