->  fried. Now, I would dearly love to know what that jury heard that convin
 ->  them to give her "life" in prison, as I would like to know why capital
 ->  punishment is on the books of 38 states and yet 90% or better of the
 ->  condemded are still alive?
 ->  ZED!

 KC#@> I believe there were two reasons she was not given the death penalty.
 KC#@> First, they probably felt that since she had tried to commit suicide
 KC#@> while in custody death would be preferable to HER.  By giving her life
 KC#@> in prison, or some reasonable facsimile, they were handing out a
 KC#@> stiffer penalty to her.  Second, (and this may not be a good reason)
 KC#@> it will be less expensive to the state to keep her locked up for life
 KC#@> than it would to exhaust the innumerable appeals to a death sentence.

 On your first point, who knows unless the jury finally talks. Per your
 second point, it may not have been a good reason, but it is a realistic
 one. It does cost more to execute than to incarcerate for life. But while
 part of the issue, I think it is not the mainstray of why comdemned aren't
 finished off, I think Newsweek has it partly right, juries have a difficult
 time passing death on a real person. Also, in this case her being a women
 came into play, maybe they saw a screwed-up mother more than two dead kids,
 who knows. Still a bad excuse and a lousy call!
 ZED!

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