Rare acquittal for China murder convict on death row

[webfact]

Rare acquittal for China murder convict on death row

(BBC) A man convicted of murdering two children has been acquitted by China's highest court, in a rare move.

The Fujian Supreme Court found there was insufficient evidence that Nian Bin, a grocery shop owner, had poisoned his fellow villagers with rat poison leading to the death of two children.

Mr Nian was on death row for more than six years and repeatedly appealed against his verdict.

Lawyers said he was tortured into confession.

The BBC's John Sudworth says the exact figure is not known, but China is believed to execute thousands of prisoners every year and successful appeals are rare.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-28892036


-- BBC 2014-08-22

[lostman]

If he owns a business, then you have to be a card carrying member of 'the party'.

That is what likely got him acquitted.

[Mudcrab]

Apparently it is found guilty at 10 am.....appeal heard at 12 o'clock..... dead by 2 o'clock

[timmyp]

In principle, I think the death penalty is a good thing: People who did frightening crimes are erased from this Earth. But the justice system everywhere can be so frighteningly twisted, it really seems like a bad idea to remove the "undo" option for police and the courts by allowing the death penalty. This is just another example...

[KhnomKhnom]

All his organs unfit for sale...... acquit.

[chingching]

In principle, I think the death penalty is a good thing: People who did frightening crimes are erased from this Earth. But the justice system everywhere can be so frighteningly twisted, it really seems like a bad idea to remove the "undo" option for police and the courts by allowing the death penalty. This is just another example...

And on the other hand : wikipedia: In 2010, a death row inmate waited an average of 178 months (or close to 15 years) between sentencing and execution.^[1] Nearly a quarter of deaths on death row in the U.S. are due to natural causes.^[2]

A Florida inmate, Gary Alvord, arrived on Florida's death row before Alderman arrived on Georgia's death row and, on 9 April 2013, Alvord had been on death row for exactly 43 years until he passed away on May 19, 2013 from a brain tumor.^[7] longer than any other United States death row inmate.

[Sena Dave]

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If he owns a business, then you have to be a card carrying member of 'the party'.

That is what likely got him acquitted.

I don't know if that is the law or not , Ive not heard of it before . If it is the law than like many laws in China , it is not enforced or only enforced if it suits the powers than be. The Communist party in China is a bit like the Freemasons in the West , I knew many people who joined it simply to "Get on"

[GOLDBUGGY]

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In principle, I think the death penalty is a good thing: People who did frightening crimes are erased from this Earth. But the justice system everywhere can be so frighteningly twisted, it really seems like a bad idea to remove the "undo" option for police and the courts by allowing the death penalty. This is just another example...

In principle I suppose you are right. For Child Rapists and Murders, Serial Killers, and anyone who Rapes and then Murders anyone, I have no sympathy for. But not all Premeditated Killers.

What of the husband who comes home early and by accident sees his wife in bed with his best friend through an open doorway. In shock, and trying to piece this together in his mind he goes back to his car and sits. But instead of making any sense of this he becomes enraged and returns to the bedroom but this time with a hammer. In a heated argument with his wife, and perhaps unknown to him at the time, he hits her with it causing her death.

This my friend can easily be considered Premeditated Murder, as by returning to his car first he had time to preplan the death of his wife. So under normal circumstances he would be given the death sentence. But to me this somehow doesn't put him in the same category as a Child Murder. Nor does the 1 in 10,000 who sit on Death Row and are actually innocent and never did the crime.

Capital Punishment also has several other flaws. It seems that the Child Murders, Serial Killers, and Serial Rapist, who perform the most hideous crimes and deserve the greatest amount of punishment the law can dish out, are the ones who get off the most. They always manage to make some Plea Bargain to have there sentences reduced from the Death Penalty to Life in Prison. Either by just pleading guilty, and saving a long court battle and possibly getting off on a technicality, or offering to help discover the bodies and mass graves,

So what you end up with by having Capital Punishment is the man who killed his wife, for sleeping with his best friend, put to death. Or the 18 year old who followed an older friend or relative to a 7-11 to rob it, and in the process the older friend kills the owner, so they both get the Death Sentence. But what you do not have is the man who raped and murdered 12 innocent children put to death, but instead is now spending a comfortable life in Prison,

The way it stand now, I could never vote for Capital Punishment! .

[rondii]

If he owns a business, then you have to be a card carrying member of 'the party'.

That is what likely got him acquitted.

Rubbish

[ALFREDO]

If he owns a business, then you have to be a card carrying member of 'the party'.

That is what likely got him acquitted.

Rubbish

Yes, right, the Chinese and their North Korean comrades kill even higher ranking politicians.