Sorta, kinda. The Denver Post reports:
A man who kidnapped, raped and murdered a woman in 1994 was sentenced Monday to life in prison without parole.
Robert Harlan was originally sentenced to death by an Adams County jury in 1995 for the murder of Rhonda Maloney, 25. But Harlan escaped execution after the Colorado Supreme Court upheld a ruling that jurors in the case improperly consulted the Bible during deliberation.
Via Fark
What the Post doesn't tell you is that they were improperly consulting the "Electrician's Bible."
Posted by: JWebb | December 20, 2005 at 10:06 PM
Or taking turns reading the Song of Songs in the bathroom.
Posted by: gail | December 20, 2005 at 10:13 PM
I expect the Germans to release him any day now.
Posted by: Scott P | December 20, 2005 at 10:19 PM
doesn't that whole thou shalt not kill bit apply to the courts too.......?at least that's the gist I got off the catholic church.
I mean come on people even Mexico has decided the death penalty is inhumane
Posted by: FilthyCommie | December 21, 2005 at 01:10 AM
I'm against the death penalty. It's the general silliness of the reasoning that I was commenting on.
Posted by: gail | December 21, 2005 at 07:02 AM
And as for Mexico, it can teach my grandma to suck eggs as far as morality goes. It probably outlawed the death penalty for the sole purpose of pissing down our trouser leg over the extradition issue the way the Europeans have such a jolly time doing.
Posted by: gail | December 21, 2005 at 07:16 AM
I had a length post about this back when it happened. The thing that gets me is that every juror walks in there with a set of beliefs and they don't stipulate against that, yet whne one person asks what the bible says on it and they other person responds then it becomes a mistrial because other people COULD have been influenced. No juror complained about it. But they COULD have been influenced.
Well as a person that took color theory the color of the room and furnature COULD have influenced the jurors. So could the shape of the chairs, the attorney's tie, the plantiff's hair or the temprature of the room.
Add to that that if it had been someone quooting the Quran or Confucious or even L. Ron Hubbard, then i doubt it would have evern been brought up.
In the end this was basicly tossing aside a result because Christian bashing has become popular. If you think that the bible hasn't been consulted in past court cases your nuts.
Posted by: Rob B. | December 21, 2005 at 09:06 AM