No Reprieve for Crips Founder

[Azred]

The news story is here.

the article: SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to halt the scheduled execution of convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams, the Crips gang founder who became an anti-gang activist while in prison and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In a last-ditch legal move, defense attorneys petitioned the high court earlier this month, alleging shoddy forensic testing and other errors may have wrongly sent Williams to San Quentin State Prison, where he is scheduled die by injection Dec. 13. The defense derided as "junk science" ballistics evidence showing that a shotgun registered to Williams was used to kill three people during a 1979 motel robbery. The attorneys asked the court to allow re-examination of the evidence. Prosecutors argued there was no good reason to reopen Williams' case. Allegations about the shotgun evidence were "based upon innuendo, supposition and the patent bias of his purported expert, not upon allegations of fact," prosecutors said. The court voted 4-2 without comment to deny the inmate's petition. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger or a federal court could still intervene to spare the 51-year-old Williams.

Ok. He wrote some children's books denouncing violence and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. So what? The man is still a convicted murderer! The fact that he changed his life after being conviced is simply proof that not everyone in prison is all bad, but his good deeds do not undo his prior actions. His gang, which has spread nationwide (and I think has branches in some foreign countries, as well) is the cause of many, many violent crimes. Although we cannot hold him responsible for actions of those other than himself, his legacy must be considered one of violence, not peace.

[ 12-01-2005, 12:28 AM: Message edited by: Azred ]

[Sir Degrader]

Bah, taken to much money. Blow his brains out after letting him speak to a Chaplain.

[Luvian]

Well, without going into a death sentence debate, I think it's suspicious that he waited until he was sentenced to be killed before "realising the errors of his ways".

It sound to me like an attempt at saving his life.

[Orbost]

Originally posted by Luvian: Well, without going into a death sentence debate, I think it's suspicious that he waited until he was sentenced to be killed before "realising the errors of his ways". It sound to me like an attempt at saving his life.

Well, he's been on death row for 25 years, so I guess he has had plenty of time to reflect.

There's plenty of death sentence debate happening on the Van Touang hanging thread, so no need to go into all that again.

Here's a useful, and reasonably balanced article on Williams:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Williams

[johnny]

Tookie was the founder of the Crips, so in a way he's responsible for a lot more than just three killings on his behalf. I've read all about these jolly fellows in Leon Bing's "Gangs" and the autobiography of Kody Scott aka Monster Kody, and whatever sentence guys like that may get, they don't belong on the streets, that's for sure.

[Timber Loftis]

And if there's problems with the evidence he was convicted on?

[johnny]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: And if there's problems with the evidence he was convicted on?

Pffft...all his former homies bragg about his accomplishments, his actions for da hood, crap like that, if you're looking for evidence, put the heat on some of his former buddies, or even the ones he fought against, the guys wearing the red outfits. It's not that hard to find evidence against a guy like that, he's proud at what he's done, he's a public figure in South Central, not someone who carefully planned his actions in stealthmode.

[ 12-01-2005, 11:20 AM: Message edited by: johnny ]

[Azred]

There would have been ample time to correctly and independently verify the forensic results of the evidence during the course of however many appeals he has had over the years. If the evidence still proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he did it, then he did it and, according to the law, shall die.

[Chewbacca]

All options to avoid execution appear exhausted. The man dies there tonight at midnight.

Young Gs & O.Gs are once again reminded the way to go out is shooting rather than strapped to a table. Lets hope they all dont start that shooting tonight.

Former Gs & other who care and seek to pull people out out of the street game lose an asset, but perhaps gain a martyr.

[Azred]

Originally posted by Chewbacca: Young Gs & O.Gs are once again reminded the way to go out is shooting rather than strapped to a table. Lets hope they all dont start that shooting tonight.

That is their mentality, anyway. Keeping Mr. Williams alive wasn't changing anything because the current leaders of the Crips weren't listening to him. To them he was on old has-been, not a revered "OG". Nevertheless, they'll probably be restless just to keep up appearances.

I hate to say it, because I wouldn't want to see this happen, but the only way to effectively deal with or defeat gangs is to have the jack-booted thugs come out in force. That would just be replacing one gang with another, however.