I think it's interesting that the death penalty in the US is going out with not a bang but a whimper...individual states are having fewer and fewer executions each year as jurors become less willing to recommend the death penalty, and thus it is becoming more popular for state legislatures to restrict its use further or ban it outright.  That's what federalism is all about - giving states choices.  I would like to see the death penalty go the way of the rack and the public stocks, but a national ban (particularly if done by the Supreme Court in some sort of deus ex machina ruling) would provoke the same sort of reaction that Roe v. Wade did, and indeed would probably reinvigorate the pro-death penalty cause.  I laud the effort of state activists, but I also hope that national level activists are willing to lay off for a bit (or at least, support a state by state approach) so we can give federalism a chance to work its magic.

Ce n'est pas une pipe. C'est une signature.

This brings to mind an interesting case that happened on the NJ Death Row.

One inmate, triple murderer Robert Mudman Simon, was on death row for killing a cop while being on parole for another murder, died on NJ death row after many years. Not from the needle, but rather after becoming involved in an altercation with another death row inmate who subsequently turned his head turned into 2" cube (last famous inmate note). His lawyers did a rather good job representing him, and although the beatdown was caught on the prison security tape and many guards and inmates witnessed it, the cranium cubing was ruled self defense and the jury acquitted him of all charges.

Sounds like even if NJ techincally remains a death penalty state all of the glitches will eventually fix themselves, Milton Waddams-esque.

I don't own a gun; my ancestors were Quakers!