Justice

[mike honcho]

A North Texas man was convicted of capital murder for setting a clerk on fire as he robbed her Garland convenience store has been sentenced to death.

After about nine hours of deliberation over the course of two days, the jury unanimously sentenced 38-year-old Matthew Johnson to death. The jury last week returned a guilty verdict for the May 2012 death of Nancy Harris.

On Monday, Johnson took the stand on his own behalf, trying to save his life.

"I just want to live long enough to see my girls grow up," he said. "I put myself and family in a bad situation and the victim's families. I feel like a coward. I have my day of redemption, and I ask forgiveness from the victims families and for the court to have mercy."

Johnson is married and has three daughters, ages 15, 11 and 3.

Jurors can choose between death or life imprisonment without parole for Johnson, who admitted to police that he killed the 76-year-old Harris.

Johnson poured lighter fluid on Harris as she stood behind the store counter and set her on fire after she had opened the register for him.

Harris suffered burns over 40 percent of her body and died days later.

 

[Johali]

A North Texas man was convicted of capital murder for setting a clerk on fire as he robbed her Garland convenience store has been sentenced to death.

After about nine hours of deliberation over the course of two days, the jury unanimously sentenced 38-year-old Matthew Johnson to death. The jury last week returned a guilty verdict for the May 2012 death of Nancy Harris.

On Monday, Johnson took the stand on his own behalf, trying to save his life.

"I just want to live long enough to see my girls grow up," he said. "I put myself and family in a bad situation and the victim's families. I feel like a coward. I have my day of redemption, and I ask forgiveness from the victims families and for the court to have mercy."

Johnson is married and has three daughters, ages 15, 11 and 3.

Jurors can choose between death or life imprisonment without parole for Johnson, who admitted to police that he killed the 76-year-old Harris.

Johnson poured lighter fluid on Harris as she stood behind the store counter and set her on fire after she had opened the register for him.

Harris suffered burns over 40 percent of her body and died days later.

Good

 

[BobbyFord]

Texas is much better at it than California but I wish they'd fry these bastards sooner. The usual 15-20 years to file appeals is BS.
I think it's Finland, where if you're convicted of a capital offense, you have one week to prepare your appeal. If, a week later, you lose your appeal, they shoot your ass the next morning.

 

[Reck]

Texas is much better at it than California but I wish they'd fry these bastards sooner. The usual 15-20 years to file appeals is BS.
I think it's Finland, where if you're convicted of a capital offense, you have one week to prepare your appeal. If, a week later, you lose your appeal, they shoot your ass the next morning.

While I agree that the waiting period in certain states are insanely long I do think you need to set up a decent time frame to allow the other side to appeal and get their stuff back in orders.

Now if you're 100% guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt then just get it done as quick as possible but there has been cases where an innocent actually gets the death penalty.

There was such a case not so long ago.

A man spent like 20 odd years in prison falsely convicted of a crime while on death row. He was exonerated a while back.

 

[BobbyFord]

I agree, when DNA proves the person is guilty, appeals should be limited.

 

[Johali]

I think it's Finland, where if you're convicted of a capital offense, you have one week to prepare your appeal. If, a week later, you lose your appeal, they shoot your ass the next morning.

In Russia It's always been somewhat the same. They have a small special all concrete room with a drain in the center below the courtroom where they walk you in and shoot you in the back of the head, game over.