Death Penalty Challenged
Three Somali pirates face a host of death-penalty eligible charges related to the 2011 murder of four Americans aboard the hijacked yacht Quest.
Death penalty challenged in Somali pirate case
Attorneys for three Somalis charged with murder in the shooting deaths of four Americans aboard a hijacked yacht want a federal judge to stop prosecutors from seeking the death penalty if they’re convicted.
The attorneys wrote in a recent court filing that the death penalty’s infrequent use makes it arbitrary and unconstitutional. Ahmed Muse Salad, Abukar Osman Beyle and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar face a host of death-penalty eligible charges related to the February, 2011 hijacking of the yacht Quest.
In total, 22 of the 26 counts the defendants are charged with are death-eligible offenses.
Their trial is scheduled to begin in 2013 and they have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors have not yet responded to the filing.
Experts say some of the arguments have been made unsuccessfully in the past.
The photo dipicts two of the four murdered Americans, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, on a yacht in California
Source: News Republic
One Reply to “Death Penalty Challenged”
Leave a Reply
Is it suprising there would be pressure to block the death penalty. I am of the strong belief that the Death penalty is a clear cut option in this case, but up to the presiding judge.Plea bargaining and this sort of legal rubbish does little to enhance the already poor public opinion of the legal system and its practitioners anywhere in the world.Its clear these pirates killed the four Americans, a pleading of NOT Guilty is totally meaningless. Lock them up for ever or execute them and stop funding the lawyers.Further do it now and not in ten years time.
Trevor Rogers
President
UAS Teknik.AG