Althouse: "Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell agreed today to two life sentences and waive his appeal rights..."

May 14, 2013

"Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell agreed today to two life sentences and waive his appeal rights..."

"... in exchange for the state taking the death penalty off the table.... Seeking the death penalty was overkill...."

28 comments:

jim said...: Too bad. Wanted his punishment to be a spine snip.; 5/14/13, 8:22 PM
edutcher said...: Jeralyn has a sick sense of humor. Execution wasn't overkill, it's what he deserves.

You take 'em where you can get 'em, I guess.; 5/14/13, 8:25 PM
Glenn Howes said...: It seems as though it's wrong to be able to plea away your appeals rights. That's a power I'd rather DAs not have.; 5/14/13, 8:29 PM
traditionalguy said...: Revenge of the curse upon Amalekites everywhere is doing its slow work.; 5/14/13, 8:29 PM
Achilles said...: He should be forced to go and talk about his "experiences" to high school kids all over the country. I think it would be enlightening to many people.; 5/14/13, 8:32 PM
Saint Croix said...: I wanted him to appeal his convictions for doing abortions after 24-weeks. Those convictions fly in the face of Roe v. Wade. Which means either the federal courts would have to overturn the convictions, or would have to rewrite Roe v. Wade (again!)

But this might motivate other states to outlaw abortions after 24 weeks, or 22 weeks, since babies have survived that early.

Such laws would put a serious crimp in the practice of Dr. Hern, Dr. Haskell, and Dr. Carhart, among others.

Approximately 20,000 abortions a year take place after 22 weeks.; 5/14/13, 8:34 PM
Bob Loblaw said...: Seeking the death penalty for three murders was overkill?; 5/14/13, 8:36 PM
Saint Croix said...: Another suggested regulation is to bring back the hospital requirement for the D&E. The Supreme Court has helpfully listed all the dangers of the D&E abortion.

“sharp bone fragments passing through the cervix”

“uterine perforations caused by (the doctor’s) instruments”

“infection-causing fetal and placental tissue in the uterus”

“potentially fatal absorption of fetal tissue into the (bloodstream)”

All these injuries are quite serious, which is why it is clearly constitutional for a state to pass health regulations protecting women from unethical (and Hippocratic Oath violating) doctors who are in a business to make money.

See Lochner v. New York, liberals, if you doubt the state's authority to pass health regulations. And having a 2nd trimester abortion is clearly riskier than working 10 hours in a bakery.; 5/14/13, 8:47 PM
dcm said...: Glenn. Agreed. Stipulating to give away your appeal rights is a bad bad thing.; 5/14/13, 8:47 PM
Emil Blatz said...: It was only overkill because he would have died of natural causes waiting for it.; 5/14/13, 8:53 PM
Saint Croix said...: And here is a suggestion for Congress. Pass a law defining any partially-born baby as a citizen of the United States.

This would define both the D&X and the D&E as murder, since both procedures require that the baby is yanked outside the cervix.; 5/14/13, 9:11 PM
Cedarford said...: edutcher said...
Jeralyn has a sick sense of humor. Execution wasn't overkill, it's what he deserves
------
But with the perversion of swift and sure American justice into a Talmudic strain that pays lawyers well for endless debate and appeals, you can be pretty sure you would not get him executed. Not after the 15-20 years of appeals motions and the millions to fatten lawyers wallets - No chance the State would whack the 72-year old doctor before he was dead of natural causes.

Saint Croix said...
And here is a suggestion for Congress. Pass a law defining any partially-born baby as a citizen of the United States.
This would define both the D&X and the D&E as murder, since both procedures require that the baby is yanked outside the cervix.

Thats a Right To Life goober idea that would make 3rd trimester abortions for the life and health of the mother, plus those for severe fetal defect - murder.

And the RTL goobers are still persisting in pushing for legal personhood for blastocysts and any fetus expelled from the womb at any stage - all on their "Full human life is there at the moment of fertilization". That junk was turned down when it went on the ballot as too Taliban-like even for the State of Mississippi.

Which is why the religious goobers and their counterparts on the Left that demand abortions for any reason at any time and some who still call Gossselin "A Courageous Hero" - need to just shut up and go away because they poison the parties and poison society in their 40 year "no concessions" war.; 5/14/13, 9:29 PM
Paul said...: "Seeking the death penalty was overkill...."

For what? Overkill for all those babies murdered?

Yea he, with the help of autopsy photos and any video of his deeds, be forced to go to every liberal campus and show them just what their abortion does to babies.

Rub their damn noses in what they have wrought with their 'choice'.; 5/14/13, 9:39 PM
dc said...: Will he get to keep his non person feet collection?; 5/14/13, 9:44 PM
Gahrie said...: Remember, if he hadn't have been sloppily dealing Oxy Contin, this case would have never happened........; 5/14/13, 9:46 PM
Hunter said...: Eric said...
Seeking the death penalty for three murders was overkill?

Well, it wasn't murder-murder.; 5/14/13, 10:03 PM
bagoh20 said...: I would have actually gone for a sentence of "overkill".; 5/14/13, 10:08 PM
The Godfather said...: Human justice is imperfect, but at the end of Gosnell's sentence he'll face God's justice, which is perfect. I feel better knowing that.; 5/14/13, 10:11 PM
J said...: Since snipping his spine and keeping him alive is considered cruel and unusual I hope he lives a very long time and remembers the life he used to have.; 5/14/13, 10:39 PM
bagoh20 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/14/13, 11:45 PM
bagoh20 said...: " he'll face God's justice, which is perfect."

If we aren't willing to do what's right after what Gosnell did to God's most innocent and pure gifts, why should we expect God to handle our responsibility for us? And if we value these gifts so little that we won't truly hold someone this evil to account for destroying them so casually, do we really deserve God's grace ourselves? Everybody just passes the buck. Doesn't anyone want to give God a day off from cleaning up our mess? He's not the maid.

I imagine God looking down and saying "Really? He kills all these beautiful innocents that I give you to keep and care for, and all you do is give the old man free meals and health care, and require that he sit in a room and watch TV and read for the rest of his life? How is that any different from what most innocent old men get when I leave it up to you?

When we leave it up to God, it's like we are saying we are too good for the dirty work; leave it for the help.; 5/14/13, 11:48 PM
bgates said...: Seeking the death penalty was overkill

We call it "overextraction".; 5/15/13, 2:01 AM
J said...: bagoh2o personally Iam reminded of Lot and nthe cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.And am very glad that God has low standards to qualify for redemption.; 5/15/13, 6:55 AM
J said...: I try not to judge God.You know not being like --God-- you know?; 5/15/13, 6:57 AM
Largo said...: Gahrie: "Remember, if he hadn't have been sloppily dealing Oxy Contin, this case would have never happened........"

Better: "Remember, if he hadn't have been sloppily dealing Oxy Contin, this would have never happened........"; 5/15/13, 7:08 AM
Renee said...: We're not leaving it up to God.

He's going to prison.

No reason to kill him.; 5/15/13, 7:48 AM
bagoh20 said...: He will live the rest of his life very similar to, and in some ways, superior to most elderly people who never even broke the law. He will never have to worry about running out of money, paying for food, taxes, rent, medical care, or anything ever again. It looks to me like we don't really mind what he did all that much. At least not if it means getting our hands dirty. We do have to maintain our pretenses. I don't think God is fooled by it.; 5/15/13, 8:02 AM
Peter said...: In states that still have a death penalty it is not infrequently used by prosecutors as a bargaining chip: cop a plea and you can get life without, or perhaps even life with the possibility of parole.

It works. And it's obviously a tool that's unavailable to prosecutors in states that have eliminated the death penalty.

But is it ethical?; 5/15/13, 8:53 AM