Skeptic Project

Jared Lee Loughner, the 22-year-old accused of attempting to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and killing several others in a mass shooting spree in Arizona earlier this month, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Phoenix on Monday.

Loughner was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and wire-rimmed glasses and was seen smiling, nodding and chatting with his lawyer, who entered his plea on his behalf, Reuters reports. The newswire said the hair on his shaved head was starting to grow back.

Surprisingly, his lawyer Judy Clarke did not oppose a motion by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona to move the trial back to Tucson, where it would be easier for the families of victims of the shooting to attend, MSNBC reported.

Federal prosecutors last week indicted Loughner on charges he attempted to murder of Giffords and two of her aides, Ron Barber and Pamela Simon. Charges for the murder of federal judge John Roll and Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman (in addition to state murder charges for the non-federal employees killed in the massacre) are expected down the line. Prosecutors have indicated they intend to seek the death penalty.

Prosecutors also turned over to the defense information they obtained from Loughner's computer and 250 interviews, said Sandhya Somashekhar of the Washington Post.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/loughner_pleads_not_guilty_hearings_moved_back_to_1.php?ref=fpb

Do they have the death penalty in Arizona? What are people's view on the death penalty in circumstance such as this?

^Dropped from a great height or belted repeatedly?

meh I don't like the death penalty. I can see Jared Lee Loughner exhibits a Zeitgeist cult Movement trait which of course is lying. It's pretty obvious what he did.

"meh I don't like the death penalty."

Why?

You know what else kills humans, Bill?

Murderers.

"Cause it kills humans"

Not all humans are worthy of continued breathing.

@Snob Goblin true but murders are people to.

@NWO Florist Although I agree, I don't like the death penalty. If it was up to me which lucky for everybody else it's not I would not have the death penalty. I also don't like this idea that people should be able to off themselves legally anytime they want to just because their depressed, not for incurable health reasons...

^you're right, i meant authoritarian - jokingly of course.

I know you're not an anarchist and that you value the rule of law.

Yeah, I'm not sure authoritarian works either as I think the rule of law should still apply to those in power.

I don't own any guns.

I have to agree with Matt here.

Some people I think we're just better off without.

^ This is true. Many people still consider the guillotine the most humane method of execution.

The more ironic the punishment the better

The death penalty is no punishment. Regardless of beliefs of the afterlife, you're escaping punishment here by death. Jared should face justice head on here.

And I also believe that taking the life of another isn't the answer.

Granted I'm a lightweight when it comes to criminal punishment, but I find life sentences more fearful than death.