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Condemned Man Who Did Crazy Thing Deemed Sane by Texas Court [Andre Thomas]
Wall Street Journal ^
| March 19, 2009
| Ashby Jones
Posted on 03/20/2009 11:29:50 AM PDT by KingofZion
A condemned Texas inmate who removed his only eye and ate it in a bizarre outburst several months ago on death row is “crazy,” yet sane under state law, a judge wrote in an appellate court ruling on Wednesday that rejected his appeals. Here’s the story, from the Associated Press.
According to the story, Andre Thomas challenged his conviction and death sentence for the murder of his estranged wife’s 13-month-old daughter five years ago in Grayson County in North Texas. His wife and their 4-year-old son were killed in the same attack. The victims were stabbed and their hearts were ripped out. Thomas, 26, then reportedly walked into the Sherman Police Department, admitted to the killings and said God told him to commit them.
The nine-member Texas Court of Criminal Appeals unanimously upheld Thomas’ conviction and punishment. Here’s the court’s per curiam order and accompanying statement by Judge Cathy Cochran.
Thomas “is clearly ’crazy,’ but he is also ’sane’ under Texas law,” Judge Cochran wrote. ***
Last December, a death row officer at the Polunsky Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice found Thomas in his cell with blood on his face and had him taken to the unit infirmary. Thomas told officials he had pulled out his remaining eye and ate it. Thing is, it wasn’t the only time Thomas had plucked out an eye. While in the Grayson County Jail five days after his arrest, Thomas plucked out his right eye. A judge subsequently ruled he was competent to stand trial.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: capital; death; penalty; punishment
Mmm, mmm, good! Why is this guy still alive?
To: KingofZion
It’s a case of blind justice.
2
posted on
03/20/2009 11:31:01 AM PDT
by
MeanWestTexan
(Beware Obama's Reichstag Fire.)
To: KingofZion
To: KingofZion
4
posted on
03/20/2009 11:31:55 AM PDT
by
Grn_Lantern
(Let's go to work....)
To: KingofZion
Just put the thing out of its misery all ready!
5
posted on
03/20/2009 11:31:56 AM PDT
by
villagerjoel
("Gun control is a prerequisite for genocide." - Unknown)
To: MeanWestTexan
“If thine eye offends thee.....”
6
posted on
03/20/2009 11:32:45 AM PDT
by
Lurker
(The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
To: MeanWestTexan
7
posted on
03/20/2009 11:33:38 AM PDT
by
tet68
( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
To: KingofZion
I don’t care if he’s crazy.
Part of the reason for a society to have capital punishment is to prevent lynch mobs and vigilantes.
He killed people, including children. If he doesn’t receive capital punishment, the next time something like this happens, the accused may not make it to his sentencing.
8
posted on
03/20/2009 11:34:33 AM PDT
by
Ghost of Philip Marlowe
(The Stimulus Package: Preamble to the Democrat's new Declaration of In Dependence)
To: villagerjoel
If he’s blind he’ll miss half the fun of his execution...
9
posted on
03/20/2009 11:34:40 AM PDT
by
tet68
( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
To: tet68
"If he’s blind he’ll miss half the fun of his execution..." ...It'll be over in a blink.
10
posted on
03/20/2009 11:36:22 AM PDT
by
Joe 6-pack
(Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
To: KingofZion
This is the eye guy from yesterday. Some good comments on that thread....
11
posted on
03/20/2009 11:37:18 AM PDT
by
b4its2late
(Ignorance allows liberalism to prosper.)
To: KingofZion
what does he eat next to get out of his sentence?
12
posted on
03/20/2009 11:37:31 AM PDT
by
wiggen
To: Joe 6-pack
For a last meal he said he wanted Eyetalian.
13
posted on
03/20/2009 11:38:34 AM PDT
by
tet68
( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
To: KingofZion
That shtick never works.
14
posted on
03/20/2009 11:40:01 AM PDT
by
The_Victor
(If all I want is a warm feeling, I should just wet my pants.)
To: KingofZion
He can't be executed if he is crazy, but if he doesn't want to be executed he is obviously sane. Since he gouged out his eye to prove he is crazy enough to not be executed, he must therefore be sane.
Can someone send him a braille edition of Catch 22?
15
posted on
03/20/2009 11:42:22 AM PDT
by
KarlInOhio
(Obama: removing the speed limit on the Road to Serfdom)
To: KarlInOhio
He can't be executed if he is crazy,Why not???? They put down mad animals, don't they? I don't believe insanity should ever be a defense.
Put him down. Do it humanely, but put him down.
16
posted on
03/20/2009 11:50:50 AM PDT
by
Retired COB
(Still mad about Campaign Finance Reform)
To: Retired COB
Define humanely.
I think the guillotine is best. 1 second, BANG! Thud. You're dead. Very quick. Wash down with a hose, and you can use a shorter, cheaper box.
17
posted on
03/20/2009 12:09:01 PM PDT
by
jonascord
(Hey, we have the Constitution. What's to worry about?)
To: Retired COB
Define humanely.
I think the guillotine is best. 1 second, BANG! Thud. You're dead. Very quick. Wash down with a hose, and you can use a shorter, cheaper box.
18
posted on
03/20/2009 12:09:01 PM PDT
by
jonascord
(Hey, we have the Constitution. What's to worry about?)
To: jonascord
I think the guillotine is best.That works for me.
19
posted on
03/20/2009 1:00:40 PM PDT
by
Retired COB
(Still mad about Campaign Finance Reform)
To: KarlInOhio
"Since he gouged out his eye to prove he is crazy enough to not be executed, he must therefore be sane." Justice is, after all...
...visually impaired.
20
posted on
03/20/2009 1:02:52 PM PDT
by
Joe 6-pack
(Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
To: KingofZion
I wonder what his last meal will be on death row.
21
posted on
03/20/2009 1:06:08 PM PDT
by
techcor
(I hope Obama succeeds... in becoming a one term president.)
To: jonascord
Use of the guillotine exposes prison guards to potentially contaminated "body fluids".
I recommend nitrogen asphyxia. Condemned will just pass out and never wake up.
22
posted on
03/20/2009 1:08:58 PM PDT
by
ArrogantBustard
(Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
To: MeanWestTexan
We (Texas) had a previous Death Row inmate that tried to feign insanity...Marshall Ratliff.
He was pulled off Death Row for a new trial. He made a escape attempt and killed some people. The citizens of the town captured and hanged him. My Grandparents went to the lynching.
http://www.ciscotx.com/ciscopd/santaclaus.html
To: techcor
Rocky Mountain oysters, probably.
24
posted on
03/20/2009 2:05:51 PM PDT
by
MeanWestTexan
(Beware Obama's Reichstag Fire.)
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