Thursday, April 29, 2004
A TROPE
Two perps, one murder. Whose idea was it? Who pulled the trigger? Whose gun? Anyone order up the hit? Who’s going to talk?
In all cop shows set in New York, there’s a simple answer. It’s the perp/skell/lowlife/ who’s first threatened with “the needle.” The most hardened criminal immediately bugs out his eyes and turns into a Chatty Kathy when informed by detectives that New York is a death penalty state.
Can this have any basis in reality? First of all, do criminals not know this already? They don’t read the papers or watch TV themselves? All work and no play?
So, the supposition is that they missed the news. They are grateful to have the updated niceties of the penal code pointed out to them by the friendly detectives. Although, ironically, it’s usually bad cop who delivers the message.
So, the supposition is that they missed the news, and they also missed the news that there have been no executions in NY for over 40 years, death penalty or no.
The lesson: The death penalty is most effective as a deterrent to one’s being a recipient of same, but only after the fact, as most murderers get their news from local law enforcement agents, on a need to know basis.
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Two perps, one murder. Whose idea was it? Who pulled the trigger? Whose gun? Anyone order up the hit? Who’s going to talk?
In all cop shows set in New York, there’s a simple answer. It’s the perp/skell/lowlife/ who’s first threatened with “the needle.” The most hardened criminal immediately bugs out his eyes and turns into a Chatty Kathy when informed by detectives that New York is a death penalty state.
Can this have any basis in reality? First of all, do criminals not know this already? They don’t read the papers or watch TV themselves? All work and no play?
So, the supposition is that they missed the news. They are grateful to have the updated niceties of the penal code pointed out to them by the friendly detectives. Although, ironically, it’s usually bad cop who delivers the message.
So, the supposition is that they missed the news, and they also missed the news that there have been no executions in NY for over 40 years, death penalty or no.
The lesson: The death penalty is most effective as a deterrent to one’s being a recipient of same, but only after the fact, as most murderers get their news from local law enforcement agents, on a need to know basis.
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