Moussaoui trial

[digit]

How do you think will it finish, will he have death sentence ?

[Labrocca]

I hope not. He gets to be a martyr if he is executed. Honestly he didn't kill anyone himself did he? He should just get life.

[FucangLong]

He however, hadintent to kill. He said he wanted to crash a plane into the white house and kill as many americans as possible.

[Old Corps Gunny]

Moussaoui was sentenced to a life term without parole at the Federal ADX Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado. Basically, that means he will live in a concrete box, sleep on a thin mattress on a concrete bed, sit on a concrete stool at a concrete bed, and only have 90 minutes 5 days a week for physical exercise outside his cell, with no human interaction with other prisoners. If his behavior in prison is considered "good" for 5 consecutive years, he will be allowed a small B/W TV in his cell, but only allowed to watch religious or educational tapes. I think that this is a fitting punishment, and I hope he lives for many years to come.

[AlonzoMourning23]

I am fine with the punishment. I think his lawyers though should face whatever punishment a lawyer would normally face (disbarred, sued etc. not sure what's appropriate). If a client wants to be executed, what right do lawyers have to go against that? The goal of a defense lawyer should be to follow the path the client wants. If the client want to be executed, then they should argue for that. In this case you essentially had the prosecution arguing for what the defendant wanted, and the defense arguing against the defendant.

The defense even argued against the death penalty because their client wanted to be turned into a martyr. They used his wishes against him.

[Labrocca]

Sometimes clients don't know what's best for them. I don't believe the lawyers acted without the intent of his best interests.

[AlonzoMourning23]

Sometimes clients don't know what's best for them.Â*Â*I don't believe the lawyers acted without the intent of his best interests.Â*Â*


While that's certainly true in some instances, I'm not sure that this would qualify. I don't think he's psychologically healthy, but I think he's capable of deciding whether he wants to live or die. He wants to die for a cause, not due to wanting an escape. Though I don't think he should die for two reasons, one is he didn't kill and didn't directly contribute (ie. order, arrange etc.) a killing. Second, I don't believe in the death penalty.

A psychologist said he was a paranoid schizophrenic, that very well could be true. But they're don't really suffer delusions in areas outside of their paranoia. They are capable of making rational decisions (ie. do I want to be a martyr or not), but their primary concern is to protect themselves. Generally they wouldn't commit suicide for any reason other than because they can't handle the "persecution" or the results of their disorder (ie. hospitalization, loss of social relations etc.).

Thought, regardless of the result, this trial has resulted in my favorite coutroom comment. I can't stop laughing about the time moussaoui yelled "Moussaoui flew over the cuckoo's nest" as he was leaving.

[PittsburghAfterDark]

"Expert witnesses" such as your affore mentioned psychologists will get on the stand and say anything for cash.

Put him in gen pop he'll know the meaning of fear damn quick.

[AlonzoMourning23]

"Expert witnesses" such as your affore mentioned psychologists will get on the stand and say anything for cash.

Put him in gen pop he'll know the meaning of fear damn quick.


I don't see where I said it was definately true. After all, Moussaoui refused direct examination. The psychologist merely said he displayed signs of it.

And that's a pretty big claim though, making such a blanket claim about psychologists. In reality, there is often much disagreement for the exact diagnosis among psychologists, and since this guy never even examined him directly, there's even more room for error.

Besides, if, for the sake of argument, moussaoui is mentally healthy, then that only strengthens my argument that his lawyers should be held accountable for arguing against his wishes.

[Nitrus]

I think the punishment is fitting, and I agree with Labrocca, he would have been a martyr and noone wants terrorists to be martyrs.

-N

[Old Corps Gunny]

A lawyer has an ethical obligation to provide the best defense and act in the best interest of his client, not necessarily the desire of the client. If Moussaoui's lawyers had not argued against the death penalty, Moussaoui couild later appeal the sentence claiming he was inadequately defended. This way he not only got an appropriate sentence (in my opinion), but he has no reasonable basis for an appeal. Even now he wants to appeal the conviction, claiming he lied on the stand, and try to get a new trial. Fortunately, a federal conviction cannot be appealed after sentence has been handed down (as was explained to him by the presideng judge), so I would say Moussaoui's time in the limelight has just about run out.