Colorado governor threatens to release murderer if not reelected.

I was just able to read this and I can actually agree with Dricken-luber....Dracken-looper, whatever. This man's life should not be made in to a political issue and I think this thing is being taken out of context.

Does anyone really believe that this man would let a convicted killer go free just to make a point about capital punishment?

Side note: I don't think I could live with myself knowing that I voted for a candidate just because he said he would execute the convicted killer. Seems sort of barbaric to me.

Sounds like an extortion threat.

You should point that out to your local PTB.

A politician threatening extortion? Obviously it cannot be true. It's just taken out of context...

a reply to: sheepslayer247

The guy, mentally ill or not planed out those murders.
he hid in a bathroom until the store was closed pops out and shoot 5 people, killing 4 then taking $1,500 in cash plus tokens, must have planned on coming back to play the games?

The time for therapy and pats on the head was before he did any of that stuff...

Now he's proven himself to be a rabid dog and what do you do when a dog goes bad?
You put it down before it hurts someone else...

Needless to say you and I will never agree on this issue... But I respect your op.

Now back to the Gov. Not quite last minute he orders a stay... same reasons as you have. doesn't like the idea of killing anyone. I can live with that too. But setting this guy free, not an option. not even in jest is it...Life in lock up that's okay I guess...But he has to be high to even suggest Clemency.

Obviously his statement was crafted to provoke! That's just what he did... pissed me off at least.

a reply to: HardCorps

No doubt in my mind that this murderer should spend the rest of his life locked-up. He is nothing but a hazard to the public. The reason I have become more against the death penalty is because I have read the stories of people being executed, and then new evidence comes to light that clears them of the crimes they were convicted of.

As for the Governors comments, it may be that he misspoke and that he meant to say that he would use his power to wipe out the death penalty for this man and give him life instead.

We've all heard politicians say some dumb things, but I cannot imagine him allowing this murderer to walk free.

From what I have seen and hear on this, the man was given a death sentence. I got the impression that because of appeals and public comments from both sides, the governor didn't want to decide whether to let if happen or not so he just made a postponement during his term in office.

He's just trying to do a CYA for himself.

a reply to: HardCorps

I take this guy is a democrat? Since there was no letter after name. My opinion is this if you kill someone from lets say being drunk and driving a car then you should be eliminated by being murdered by a car running you over. Or if let’s say you raped and killed your victims like they did a few years back in Wichita KS then those bastards should be rapped and shot just the same. Yes an eye for an eye would end a lot these types of violent crimes.

The question posed was to the effect of what if the other candidate said to elect him because he would execute the imprisoned person. But it is not hypothetical? Give me a break.

I am not sold .. but I am thinking the OP could be right.

And I think would backfire on them tremendously on any candidate who did that. And if they did do that and somehow it won, there are obviously remedies that the governor can do. I could do a full clemency between election day and the end of the year.

So he thinks using this as a political tool would not work.
IF IT DID WORK .. he lost ..
He can remedy the situation with a clemency.

Sounds like he is saying, hypothetically, if the other side says elect me and I won't stop the next execution, then he can prevent the execution anyways with a full clemency.

That should never, even hypothetically, be said. They did not ask him about clemency, he initiated that.

a reply to: HardCorps

The fact you used your own title instead of that of the article aside...

It is nothing like your title describes, which is getting annoying on this site.

what the governor said was if they elect Tancredo, who is running on a pro death penalty platform, the current governor would commute his sentence - from death to life.

Secondly, the Governor, just like the President, retains the constitutional authority to grant clemency to those convicted.

a reply to: Xcathdra

And that my friend is an abuse of his executive privilege!

Oh I know lots of others have done this same kind of thing before. Over ruled the courts and the jury to set bed guys lose. Esp in those cases where there remained some doubt... but not with this kid. not only did he confess the sole survivor knew and worked with Dunlap in the past... he knew all to well just who shot him and killed his coworkers.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez challenged Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper to answer whether he intends to grant clemency to a death-row inmate before Hickenlooper leaves office, prompting one of the liveliest exchanges during their first debate Saturday.

“I have no plan to revisit my decision, so my decision stands,” Hickenlooper said. He added: “The government shouldn’t be in the business of taking people’s lives.”

Source

But all this just more political BS...Hickenlooper himself turned this into a political issue and not a moral one.

He didn’t grant clemency and turn his sentence into a life term, nor did he allow the execution to move forward. He simply delayed the decision to a later time, for seemingly someone else to decide.

For a while, it seemed that Hickenlooper meant the “someone else” involved being a future governor of Colorado.

Source

It's all just a game to him, one he hopes will garner more votes, only I think this one backfired on him.
they way he used the term "clemency " it came off as a threat...as in elect me or else! and now when put to, he's not talking... only making it all the harder for us to trust this guy and our State's governing body.

a reply to: HardCorps

Its not an abuse... Either at the Federal or state level as its spelled out in the Constitution in both areas.

a reply to: HardCorps

And how is Hickenlooper's current "release murderer" threat different than the 349 dangerous prisoners "accidentally released" last year due to clerical errors?

gawker.com...
(May 2013) HUNDREDS OF COLORADO INMATES MAY HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTALLY RELEASED?
"Various clerical errors may have led to the early and improper release of hundreds of Colorado prisoners. Judges across the state are reviewing case files sent to them by corrections officials to determine which of those prematurely released inmates need to return to prison.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper ordered the investigation, which is still on-going, after the murder of Colorado's prison chief, Tom Clements. Officials believe Clements was killed by a Colorado parolee who was released early because of a clerical error."

I know who I would back, the candidate with concern for human life and not the people with the 13 year old mentality to call his opponent "dick n luber". Really.