EDHS Contemporary World Affairs

austinasch · Veteran Member

Judge accepts insanity plea in Colorado theater massacre trial

thesprintking · Senior Member

It is sad how people like this who take innocent lives try and avoid the death penalty. It also creates a dilemna for people that do actually need to be sent to a medical insitution for being insane in cases like this.

R-Squared · Senior Member

Even if he is certifiably nuts and not just a monster, I hope they throw him into the darkest corner of the asylum and just leave him there. He'll serve his time one way or another...

KingWesleyIII · Senior Member

thesprintking wrote:
It is sad how people like this who take innocent lives try and avoid the death penalty. It also creates a dilemna for people that do actually need to be sent to a medical insitution for being insane in cases like this.

Yeah it does suck that people take advantage of the insanity plea but hey that's our legal system

ashleyhightower · Senior Member

I totally agree with Ryan. Even if the dark voices in his head told him to shoot up a crowded movie theater, he needs to feel the weight of the suffering he has put these poor families under. I completely believe in our justice system, so if he ends up in a mental facility, I hope he receives no visitors and has a terrible time.

CelesteSalas · Veteran Member

This is pathetic. I agree with Wesley, people do take advantage of this the way little kids take advantage of being little so that they do not have to pick up after themselves. He made a mess of his life and now he can't pick it up and he is trying to by claiming insanity.

RebeccaCavin · Veteran Member

I think that anyone capable of murder has something wrong mentally. However, I don't personally believe in the death penalty and I believe that our criminal justice system, both prisons and mental facilities where criminals are held, needs to focus more on rehabilitation rather than just letting prisoners rot in jail.

CelesteSalas · Veteran Member

Also the judge should know beter and be able to figure out that this man was only trying to get it easy. ....BUT!!! I agree with Rebecca though. There are more mentally ill people in prison than there are in mental institutions.

MaddieHill · Veteran Member

I agree with Ashley. I believe in our system and am all for helping those with mental illness, but he should have some kind of punishment for what he did. I personally don't believe in the death penalty, but I do believe in justice and a fair punishment.