DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- Ruling that juries cannot turn to the Bible for advice during deliberations, a divided Colorado Supreme Court threw out the death penalty for a convicted murderer because jurors discussed Bible verses. In a 3-2 vote on Monday, justices ordered Robert Harlan to serve life without parole for kidnapping Rhonda Maloney and raping her at gunpoint for two hours before fatally shooting her. Authorities said Maloney, a 25-year-old cocktail waitress, was on her way home from work at a casino. Harlan later admitted killing her, but said he was addled by cocaine, alcohol and rage. Harlan was sentenced to death in 1995, but defense lawyers learned that five jurors had looked up such Bible verses as "eye for eye, tooth for tooth," copied them and discussed them while deliberating behind closed doors. Defense attorney Kathleen Lord, arguing before the state Supreme Court last month, said the jurors had gone outside the law. "They went to the Bible to find out God's position on capital punishment," she said. Prosecutors countered, saying jurors should be allowed to refer to the Bible or other religious texts during deliberations. Monday's ruling said the Bible and other religious writings are considered "codes of law by many" in Colorado. But noting that it takes a unanimous jury to impose a death sentence here, the court said "at least one juror in this case could have been influenced by these authoritative passages ... when he or she may otherwise have voted for a life sentence." In their dissent, Justices Nancy Rice and Rebecca Love Kourlis said the evidence did not show biblical passages influenced jurors. "It is important to note that the concept of extraneous information does not include the general knowledge a juror brings to court," Rice wrote. Gov. Bill Owens said Monday's ruling was "demeaning to people of faith and prevents justice from being served." Prosecutors were reviewing the decision and could ask the state Supreme Court to reconsider or could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Jay Horowitz, a former assistant U.S. attorney and former University of Denver law professor, said the law bars jurors from considering evidence not presented at trial. But he noted it was unreasonable to expect them to set aside moral standards when they step into a jury room, though there must be limits. "In fact, people do bring their background and thoughts and impressions, and you can't separate from that, and shouldn't try to," he said. The conservative Christian group, Focus on the Family, had sharp criticism for the court. "Today's ruling further confirms that the judicial branch of our government is nearly bereft of any moral foundation," said Tom Minnery, the group's vice president for government and public policy. I'm no Christian and I believe in the seperation of church and state. But it makes no sense to me why that they have people swear to tell the truth with thier hand on the bible then won't let jurors discuss the Bible in deliberations? If the courts don't want this then they should only appoint atheist jurors. Which sounds like a good idea to me anyway.
Today's ruling further confirms that the judicial branch of our government is nearly bereft of any moral foundation," said Tom Minnery, the group's vice president for government and public policy. Someone ought to stick a sock in Tom's mouth...raving lunatic he is...Focus on the Family's grand poopaw, Dobson I think his name is...is another bought and paid for lobbyist of the Bush-type ilk...propaganda specialists, nothing more, nothing less... Phish I agree with your stance on this issue...
The cover-up was initiated soon after the Roswell, N.M. crash. We wanted to know - 1) Who they were, 2) Why they were here, 3) How their technology worked. The cover-up became a matter of NATIONAL SECURITY (a blanket word covering secrecy and deception). The cover-up involves secret organizations within our government such as MJ-12, PI-40, MAJI, Delta, the Jason Scholars, & known intelligence organizations such as Naval Intelligence, Air Force Office of Special Investigation, the Defence Investigative Service, the CIA, NSA, and more! It involves THINK TANKS such as RAND, the Ford Foundation, the Aspen Institute, & Brookings Institute. It involves corporations such as Bechtel, GE, ITT, Amoco, Northrup, Lockheed, & many others. It involves SECRET SOCIETIES who may be the hidden bosses of the orchestrated events (i.e. economic collapse, wars, assassin- ations, conspiracies to manipulate & control humans & thereby to exercise enormous power over the destiny of the human race) - the Illuminati, Masons, Knights of Malta, etc. The individual players are too numerous to list. The whole of this conspiracy forms an INTERLOCKING NEXUS. The goal is said to be a ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT (or Dictatorship)! "'The Underground Nation' - The RAND symposium held on Deep Underground Construction indicated that plans were hatched during the 50's to build underground bases, laboratories, & city- complexes linked by a stupendous network of tunnels to preserve & protect the ongoing secret interests of the secret societies.
that makes me sad. what a bunch of maroons. Saying that jurors looked up bible is a breech of church and state is ludicris. doesn't make sense.
[nobo takes note of LP`s false sense of Supremacy] It appears that the secret societies among us have become aware of the coming planetary eco-catastrophe & the possibility of an earth polar shift in the near future. Surveying the earth from space, satellites & shuttles reveal EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO OUR ECOSPHERE! Our planet is wobbling on its axis & its magnetic field is decaying! Ozone depletion & the greenhouse effect are rapidly endangering life on our planet. Alternatives, which include - 1) direct handling of the atmospheric problems, 2) taking shelter in underground domains, & 3) escape to other planetary bodies in the solar system, have been devised in secret. (Edited by nobogart at 4:59 am on Mar. 31, 2005)
[ Lamont takes note and realises that nobo is part of the next generation beyond the Xers to be known as " The Baby Doomers " and gives nobo a gift, http://www.rense.com/ ]
sure exactly what is expected of you call it nonesense and you do exactly as those you despise wish. let me ask you why was the first pope also the last emporer of the roman empire? that is a fact you can verify, when you attempt to do so if you are as through as i am, you may also find that every pope that has been can trace his ancentry and that they all are descendants of the emporers of rome.
QUOTE Quote: from Lamont Pontoon on 10:21 am on Mar. 31, 2005 [ Lamont takes note and realises that nobo is part of the next generation beyond the Xers to be known as " The Baby Doomers " and gives nobo a gift, http://www.rense.com/ ] 43 year old here so i believe you are mistaken. when 2012 rolls around you will get your nose out of the air but then it will be to late for you. (Edited by nobogart at 1:04 pm on Mar. 31, 2005)
Too funny, you sound just like my uncle, except his "2012" was in 1974 when he got his whole parrish to follow his mental ass to the Wisconsin Crystal Caves for the second coming of christ. So call em Baby Doomers, Hale Bopp Droppers, Jones Flavored Kool-Aid, whatever you want, because thinking you can "predict" the future and have some grand plan to save yourself [ and others only if they listen ] is like so overdone and you guys seriously need a new concept and idea to win over those who have no ability for logic and reason. At 43 have you given up all sense of thought and reason to the point where your mind has no more capacity than something like The National Enquirer? p.s. you may want to check your history books for the second coming in 1974, then footnote your 2012 calendar for a similar event.
I thought it was you LP now I am sure of it, hard to hide the attitude no matter this concludes the personality test we now return you to your regularly scheduled programs.
nobogart what do you expect from those that despise religion? Like LP and DZ. Standard replies, probably out of a book on how to be a liberal. LP leading your followers to there death is qiut different then referencing the bible. Get your facts straight then distort them as much as you want.
Funny, maybe you thumpers need to reflect on just who wrote your bible and when. Was any of it written during the life of christ? Or had it been written after he died, found false, then rewritten and reinterpreted? [something christians are famous for, interpreting/reinventing the word of god.] Unfortunately faith doesnt superceed actual history. Your whole system seems to be based on the "miracle" of a couple of women and their tale of finding an empty grave a few days after someone got buried. Yet the other thousands of grave robberies over the eons that had preceeded it didnt come to the same messianic conclusion. While this may be enough substance to acquit OJ of murder charges it hardly is the substance to base an entire religion on. And try hard as you may nobo to avoid any discussion of your thoughts and belief by surmising who I am and you be wrong on more than one account, who I am isnt hard to figure out and it isnt who you think, CG knows who I am and where Im from and searching my name and the quality of my macros will tell you the same thing. So you can continue the vague ominous threats of doom based on silly conspiracy theories while never revealing just how stupid they really sound when spelled out in detail or how easily they can be dismissed with simple logic and reasoning.
ps. george, does anything of what I speak or reveal make any kind of indication that I seem to be a "follower" or do my words and revelations draw the opposite conclusion?
when you attempt to do so if you are as through as i am, Nobo...just don't do anything you'll regret...and if it comes as any consolation...we do have something in common...we are both 43...I just turned yesterday... So you can continue the vague ominous threats of doom based on silly conspiracy theories while never revealing just how stupid they really sound when spelled out in detail or how easily they can be dismissed with simple logic and reasoning. As I was saying...reverse engineer this...ESNESNON... (Edited by Professor ChumLeaf at 11:52 am on April 1, 2005)
For the lack of any better debate I'll expound on my religious track. When those first two women found the empty tomb of christ they brought their story back to the apostles and for a long time they didnt even believe the ladies until they had verified and discussed at great lengths the possibilities of what had happened. It was after this time that the writtings had started as well as the interpretations and their first writtings and assumptions were if christ had risen then surely he was among them and going to lead them to salvation. Why else would he rise and go into some sort of secretive exile? When the years went by and christ turned out to be a no-show and scores of christians had been fed to the lions in the coliseum they started to wonder how christ could have forsaken them when he promised to return and be their salvation. When the apostles had all died and christ still hadnt returned the remaining followers had to reinterpret what happened and what to make out of it. Thus became the birth of the Ascention. Since then the bible has had so many rewrites and reinterpretations from its original form at best its an evolving work of fiction. Do you think King James had a grip on what was happening over a thousand years earlier? Theres a reason they called it the dark ages. The cycle of christian reinterpretation has been as long a tradition as the religion itself based on the number of different sects and the age old custom of scripture quoting. How many of you have ever seen a pastor/preist quote scripture without following it with their own interpretation of it? Yeah, I can say zero too.
never mind i have moved on to a new home enjoy this place untill it gets down to a few pompus asses then what?
[ Lamont chases nobo because he forgot his tinfoil helmet. ] Just cause I want to debate you on the finer points of your dementia doesnt mean you should leave crying in a huff. And please go ahead and guess who I am, because this self professed know-it-all would so love to be right on yet another account. Heres the "last" clue [as I have given at least 3 times before] for the "challenged", goto the top five weed forums and search them for my name, that will give you your answer because you will only find it at one, and it will only show up once in all their threads. And what a coincidence that user also has a knack for phenominal trichome macros. But if you are parting may I offer some advice on tailoring your delivery of your illuminati conspiracy theories to an open logical discussion of whats known instead of the random tangent delivery of vague ominous threats of doom and how your superior knowledge of it will save you over me, sounds pretty pompous yourself, no?
