Saturday, August 06, 2005

What we believe in

bunny

… whilst on the subject of which of our Western values are worth fighting for, thanks to Rahid for sending me a link to this story here...

A jury in the US state of Virginia has decided that a man with learning difficulties on death row is intelligent enough to be executed.

Daryl Atkins has twice been sentenced to death for murder, but in 2002 won a Supreme Court ruling that the mentally retarded cannot be put to death.

However, the court said it was up to individual states to apply the ruling.

To escape execution in Virginia, an inmate has to prove he has an IQ of 70 or less; but Atkins scored 76 recently.

He had previously scored 59 in 1998.

The intellectual stimulation he got from constant contact with lawyers in the case is thought to have raised his IQ above the threshold of 70.

!!!

2 comments:

Sparkling said...

"Contact with lawyers raised his IQ" or a rabbit in a stabler. I don't know what is most disturbing.

Stef said...

That lawyer story really defies any rational comment ...

The rabbit stapler picture dates back to a kidnap situation that took place in my last office. I was the kidnappers official photographer. Threats were made but the ransom was not paid. It didn't end well for the bunny...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefz/30646219/