Too fat to fry?
It’s not over until the fat guy is strapped to the gurney. That was initially how it appeared to be playing out for an Ohio man found guilty of murder. But Reuters reports that Gov. John Kasich on Monday commuted the condemned man’s death sentence after his attorney appealed for mercy on the grounds that his client is obese.
Ronald Post, 53, who weighs more than 450 pounds, was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on January 16 for the aggravated murder in 1983 of motel desk clerk Helen Vantz. A parole board panel recommended on Friday that his death sentence be commuted to life in prison.
Kasich said in a statement: “Regardless of the heinous nature of their crime, a criminal defendant is entitled to an effective defense, especially in a death penalty case. The Parole Board’s conclusion is that Ronald Post did not come close to receiving such a defense. After my own careful review, I agree.”
Kasich added that the decision “should not be viewed by anyone as diminishing this awful crime or the pain it has caused.”
Yet, the motivation for the stay of execution is not clearly explained by the news service. Was the man spared the death penalty because his original counsel was derelict? And, if so, how does his health — or more specifically speaking his obesity — weigh (no pun intended) on the decision to commute his sentence to life?
Finally, one has to wonder whether the court explained to Post that life in prison carries no promise of endless quantities of food. Given that reality, might Post have chosen death after all?
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Well, what kind of an attorney negotiates a no contest plea deal in exchange for the death penalty? Holy Cow. I hope Mr. Post didn’t pay a lot for that defense.
And now, completely off topic, what’s up with your website on iPad. On my iPad it looks like an old message board kind of thing. On the other hand, on my PC things appear as they have been except that this is the only post I can see. Is this all part of the metamorphosis or is it just me?
I am not sure why it appears that way on iPad but appreciate hearing that it does. It is something we will need to look into. But on your PC, you see only this post? Is that still true when click on the Liberty Unyielding header?
Howard, still can only see this post. Clicking “Home” button and banner, same result. I went to Archives and clicked on December, and can only see this post. However, clicking on November Archives shows all the November posts.
But I can see all the posts on my iPad, but it looks like 1992.
Maybe someone left a box unchecked somewhere. It’s always something like that.
Quote:
“Finally, one has to wonder whether the court explained to Post that life in prison carries no promise of endless quantities of food. Given that reality, might Post have chosen death after all?”
That was my first thought. 450 pounds and sentenced to eat prison food for the rest of his life. That guys life is a living hell.
Powdered eggs every day for the rest of his life.
Cosmo, do you see the other posts, or is just me?
Just wondering.
That cozmo gal is kind of nuts.
And now I can reply to a reply too.
Does this mean the pony is on its way?
Pony in transit, though I’m still trying to figger out why people are seeing odd configurations.
I ain’t seeing anything either other than the top banner of this post…I blame Bush…
Could someone send me a screenshot? howard.portnoy@gmail.com. Thanks.
I have a call into our tech guy, folks. Not sure why this is happened.
Quote:
“Curtiss
December 17, 2012 @ 5:16 PM
Cosmo, do you see the other posts, or is just me?”
I see everything just fine. But I am a Luddite that uses an old fashioned desktop. Tons of RAM and super high end graphics, but still a desktop.
Hey, waddaya’ know. It looks like some of y’all can reply to a reply.
Your headline falsely implies that the significant factor in the commutation is the inmate’s obesity. It wasn’t. it was something deficient about his defense when he was tried. Come on. A really good conservative site can and should do better. What is this, the Drudge Report? Hot Air?
Read the report by Reuters. I link to it. Do you see any important difference in the way they handled this story —or are they too a defective conservative site? I was also pretty clear that I found their coverage confusing, so maybe your beef is with them.
What does it matter? This time Kasich agreed with the board of pardons and paroles. This guy is never getting out and has to maintain his weight with crappy food.
everything fine now drawoh…
Thanks, kjeet. That’s a load off. Our tech guy just gave me what for.
… ” Kasich went against a parole board recommendation and commuted convicted killer John Eley’s death sentence to life without parole after the original prosecutor and lead detective said they had misgivings about his death sentence due in part to his limited mental capacity. ” —-
…. ” “Regardless of the heinous nature of their crime, a criminal defendant is entitled to an effective defense, especially in a death penalty case,” Kasich said in a statement. “The Parole Board’s conclusion is that Ronald Post did not come close to receiving such a defense. After my own careful review, I agree.”…..
seems rather clear.
perhaps you were confused by the mention that there was an previous appeal filed, and denied, based on Post’s weight.
hope this helped
What I want to know is what did this guy weigh before prison and did he gain that much weight on prison food? Yeah, death might be preferable.
Hey, stukinL4now, I can’t recall if this is your first appearance on this side of the great divide (I imagine it is since your comment was held for approval). In any case, welcome!
about twenty years ago, in a state where murderers are executed by hanging, an obese killer filed an appeal, and prevailed, on the notion that his great weight would make it likely that hanging him would not result in the usual death from snapping his neck, but by the “cruel and unusual” death by decapitation.
the ‘too fat for an IV’ attempt was an absurd thing, filed merely on the off-chance that it might serve as a peg.
Howard, OK. To be plain, I like the site and think it has good promise! I must say I hope there is some wisdom in the situation beyond what we can read in the accounts; otherwise, bad as it sounds, it would be better if they allow unlimited return visits to the food line at the prison, and have no access to fish oil.
Doug, thanks for the kind words.