Posted on 05/22/2013 1:44:33 PM PDT by MissTed
DENVER - Governor John Hickenlooper has granted a reprieve to condemned killer Nathan Dunlap, who otherwise would have been executed in August, the CALL7 Investigators have confirmed.
DA George Brauchler told CALL7 Investigator Theresa Marchetta that the governor is going to grant a reprieve. Brauchler says that means Dunlap will not be executed as long as Hickenlooper is in office.
Hickenlooper is granting Dunlap a reprieve, not clemency. Clemency would have changed Dunlap's sentence to life without parole.
Hickenlooper says Colorado's capital punishment system is flawed and the state doesn't have the drugs in place to carry out an execution by lethal injection.
The reprieve will stay in force until Hickenlooper or another governor lift it.
Speaking to reporters just after 2 p.m., Hickenlooper said he believed it was highly unlikely that he would revisit his decision, but decided on a temporary reprieve instead of outright clemency out of respect for everyone who'd been involved in the process and the law.
"We're not overturning that, but I recognize as governor I could not find the justice in making that decision," Hickenlooper said.
Hickenlooper also discussed moral arguments about the death penalty, saying there are inequities evidenced by the low number of death sentences compared to the number of potentially eligible cases.
"I think it is a pretty compelling argument about the inequity of the system," he said.
Hickenlooper also argued there was no statistical evidence of a crime deterrent in states with the death penalty.
"This is a different level of penalty, people are subjected to different levels of punishment for what, objectively, you look at as very similar crimes," Hickenlooper said. "There just is a difference between death and life in prison without parole."
Dunlap was a 19-year-old former employee when he walked into a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in Aurora in 1993 at closing time and shot five people in the head, before taking $1,500 from a safe. Three teenagers and a mother of two died. One person survived the shooting.
Dunlap had recently been fired from the restaurant.
Dunlap was scheduled for execution the week of August 18.
After the announcement, Hickenlooper spoke about what he considered in the decision. In that address, he refused to use Dunlap's name. Instead, the governor said "Inmate 89148."
"I don't use his name. I haven't with any of these mass killings, because I don't think he needs any more notoriety," Hickenlooper said.
Dunlaps attorney will be speaking at 3:30 p.m.
I'll bet he never really supported it. It's like Democrats who say they are against gun control - you know the reality is they'd confiscate guns if they could get away with it. I will never understand these low information idiots that are conservative in almost every way, yet believe what Democrats tell them and march off to the polls and vote left. One thing is for certain, Democrats are better at fooling people and more successful at nominating candidates that give them the best chance to win - regardless of what their views really are.
James Holmes (the Aurora theater shooter) has nothing to fear now. He’ll have a long life ahead of him since CO has turned blue. *spits*
All the drugs they need for a lethal injection are sold at Home Depot in plastic jugs labeled “Liquid Plumbr”
Let the recall begin.
Once Democrats seize power the concept of a “moderate” Democrat goes out the window.
Hickenlooper says Colorado’s capital punishment system is flawed and the state doesn’t have the drugs in place to carry out an execution...
It is not your place Governor to decide what laws to follow. Do your duty.
“Hickenlooper says Colorado’s capital punishment system is flawed and the state doesn’t have the drugs in place to carry out an execution by lethal injection.”
Try rope, it’s still available unless they’ve outlawed the possession of that too.
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