[Tookie] Williams says he's prepared for death but hopes for life

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 12/2/5 | Leslie Fulbright

[sport]

It could happen that way but I will be surprised, abit it pleasantly, if Arnold does not grant him clemency.

[Mamzelle]

Ever so often the left conceives another of these infatuations with criminals--and sentimentalize him, striking the "redeemer" pose.

Recurring pathology--wonder where it comes from? An interesting psychological "tic" of the left.

[San Jacinto]

So he's a five time loser in the Nobel Prize competition? He should hope for the needle. If he gets it, he'll be a LOCK to be given the prize next year post humously.

[TheSpottedOwl]

What a piece of work. They'll nominate anyone for a Nobel Peace Prize these days, and I sure hope Arnold doesn't buckle under and pardon that bum.

[BraveMan]

From About.com . . .

To date, Stanley 'Tookie' Williams' case has received extensive legal scrutiny in both state and federal court. Since his conviction in 1981, Williams has pursued multiple appeals and habeas corpus petitions. In each and every instance, in both state and federal court, his conviction has been affirmed as appropriate and just, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office.

On April 18, 1980, the trial court granted Williams' motion to substitute his hand-picked attorney, Joseph Ingber, as attorney of record in place of Gerald Lenoir.

On January 21, 1981, the jury trial commenced and on March 13, 1981, the jury returned guilty verdicts of four counts of first-degree murder and two counts of robbery. The jury also found the special circumstance allegations of robbery-murder and multiple murder to be true. Lastly, the jury found true the special allegations that defendant Williams personally used a shotgun and that a principal was armed with a firearm.

On March 17, 1981, both parties having rested without presenting evidence at the penalty phase, argument was presented on behalf of the People and defendant Williams as to whether the penalty should be death or life imprisonment without possibility of parole. Following arguments and instructions of law by the Court on this issue, the jury, on March 18, 1981, returned a verdict of death as to each of the charged first-degree murders.

On April 15, 1981, defendant Williams' motions for a new trial and for modification of the verdict and findings imposing the death penalty were heard by the Court and denied. The trial court then sentenced Williams to death on counts 1, 2, 3 and 7.

On April 11, 1988, on automatic appeal to the California Supreme Court, in the cases of People v. Stanley Williams, Crim. No. 21977, and In re Stanley Williams, Crim. No. 23806, consolidated under Case No. S004365, and published at (1988) 44 Cal.3d 1127, the imposition of the death penalty was affirmed and defendant Williams' first habeas petition was denied following an evidentiary hearing.

On January 18, 1989, the California Supreme Court denied defendant Williams' second state habeas petition in Case No. S008526.

On that same date, January 18, 1988, defendant Williams filed his first federal habeas petition in the United States District Court in Case No. CV89-00327-SVW. The district court held that petition in abeyance while defendant Williams returned to the California Supreme Court with his unexhausted claims.

On April 11, 1994, following another evidentiary hearing, the California Supreme Court denied defendant Williams' third state habeas petition in Case No. S011868, published at (1994) 7 Cal.4th 572.

On June 21, 1995, the California Supreme Court denied defendant Williams' fourth state habeas petition in Case No. S039285.

On December 21, 1988, defendant Williams returned to federal court and, following an evidentiary hearing, the United States District Court denied defendant Williams' amended habeas petition in Case No. CV89-00327-SVW, and published its order at (1998) 41 F.Supp.2d 1043.

On December 17, 1999, defendant Williams' subsequent Rule 60(b) motion to reopen the judgment was denied, and the order was published at (1999) 1999 WL 1320903.

On September 10, 2002, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied defendant Williams' direct appeal and Rule 60(b) motion in Case Nos. 99-99018 and 00-99001, published at (2002) 306 F.3d 665.

On September 9, 2004, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals amended the opinion and denied defendant Williams' petition for rehearing and suggestion for rehearing en banc, published at (2004) 384 F.3d 567.

On February 2, 2005, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied defendant Williams' subsequent petition for rehearing and suggestion for rehearing en banc, published at (2005) 396 F.3d 1059.

Finally, on October 11, 2005, the United States Supreme Court denied defendant Williams' petition for writ of certiorari in Case No. 04-10500.
As this historical accounting proves, Williams has benefited from a detailed and exhaustive review of all of his legal claims and each court has affirmed the guilty verdicts and affirmed the death sentence. In doing so, our courts, both state and federal, have given appropriate and serious consideration to Williams, consideration which Williams so violently denied each of his victims.

[sport]

I wonder if he got his jollies watching any of his murder victims die?


16 posted on 12/02/2005 8:03:53 AM PST by GaltMeister

My money says he did.

[CAPTAINSUPERMARVELMAN]

Every time I hear what a "good man" Tookie is, writing children's books even....I can't get a picture of Eddie Murphy and "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood" out of my mind.

Watch dog bark on a hot summer night,
kill my landlord, kill my landlord,
watch dog bark, though he bite,
kill my landlord, kill my landlord,
slip in his window, break his neck,
then his house I start to wreck,
got no reason, what the heck!
kill my landlord, kill my landlord,
C-I-L-L my landlord


Actually that wasn't Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood, but his Images by Tyrone Greene poem. Funny stuff.

[RexBeach]

Roge-oh! Thanks!

[BraveMan]

It began when they come took me from my home
And put me on Death Row,
a crime for which I am totally innocent, you know.

I began to warm and chill
To objects and their fields,
A ragged cup, a twisted mop
The face of Jesus in my soup
Those sinister dinner deals
The meal trolley's wicked wheels
A hooked bone rising from my food
All things either good or ungood.

And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this weighing of the truth.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die.

I hear stories from the chamber
Christ was born into a manger
And like some ragged stranger
He died upon the cross
Might I say, it seems so fitting in its way
He was a carpenter by trade
Or at least that's what I'm told

My kill-hand's
tatooed E.V.I.L. across it's brother's fist
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist.

In Heaven His throne is made of gold
The ark of his Testament is stowed
A throne from which I'm told
All history does unfold.
It's made of wood and wire
And my body is on fire
And God is never far away.

Into the mercy seat I climb
My head is shaved, my head is wired
And like a moth that tries
To enter the bright eye
I go shuffling out of life
Just to hide in death awhile
And anyway I never lied.

And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this weighing of the truth.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die.

And the mercy seat is burning
And I think my head is glowing
And in a way I'm hoping
To be done with all this twisting of the truth.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway there was no proof
And I'm not afraid to die.

And the mercy seat is glowing
And I think my head is smoking
And in a way I'm hoping
To be done with all these looks of disbelief.
A life for a life
And a truth for a truth
And I've got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die.

And the mercy seat is smoking
And I think my head is melting
And in a way that's helping
To be done with all this twisting of the truth
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
But I'm afraid I told a lie.

JOHNNY CASH - "The Mercy Seat"

[skikvt]

"They'll nominate anyone for a Nobel Peace Prize these days."

I would like to be nominated. Not that I've ever done anything worthy, but it would be a great pick up line for hippy chicks.

[Caveman Lawyer]

Johnny Cash covered that song. Nick Cave wrote it.

[Slings and Arrows]

I wonder if they sterilize the needle beforehand. Can't risk an infection, don'cha know.

They do - he might get a last-second reprieve, after the needle was already in, and in that case the state doesn't want him dying of an infection.

[This is the state's opinion. I favor vivisecting him with a rusty butter knife.]

[dfwgator]

Another SNL Classic:

"I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see,
I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see.
When I kill all the whities I see, then whitey he won't bother me,
I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see."

[4everontheRight]

Hurry up and die already!

[Spyder]

Actually that wasn't Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood, but his Images by Tyrone Greene poem. Funny stuff.

You're right - got them confused because Mr. Robinson frequently referred to "Mr. Lan'lord"

[BJClinton]

"But I am praying that I live. Of course, I want to live."

Albert Owens, Yen-I Yang, Tsai-Shai Chen Yang and Yu-Chin Yang Lin could not be reached for comment.

[stockpirate]

I am sure the people he killed wanted life too!

EXECUTE him already.

[CAPTAINSUPERMARVELMAN]

Another SNL Classic:



"I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see,
I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see.
When I kill all the whities I see, then whitey he won't bother me,
I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see."



let's not forget the classic line I'm gonna get me a white woman as their dragging him away.

[jw777]

Adolf Hitler loved dogs. Tookie wrote a childrens book. Both were executioners whose redeeming qualities do not outweigh their crimes.

[Great Caesars Ghost]

,i>I wonder if he got his jollies watching any of his murder victims die?

Supposedly he laughed and bragged about the gurgling sounds the Korean shopkeeper made as he was dying.