Did Race Play a Role in Death Penalty Case for 19 Illegal Immigrants?

[Bethany Rockafella]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/4124484/detail.html

HOUSTON -- Two issues involving suspects accused in the deaths of 19 people took center stage Monday in the immigrant truck smuggling case.

The trial of New York man accused of driving and abandoning a tractor-trailer in the nation's deadliest human smuggling attempt was delayed again Monday as attorneys appeal his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore granted the delay after a lawyer for Tyrone Williams told her he was going to ask the high court to review his request to find out if race played a role in why his client is the only one of 14 indicted defendants facing the death penalty. Williams, 33, faces 58 counts of harboring and transporting illegal immigrants.

Craig Washington, Williams' lead attorney, said he would file his motion by Monday afternoon. Jury selection in the case had been set to begin on Tuesday. Gilmore said it could be at least a month before any response comes from the Supreme Court.

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I want to get the opinions of my fellow DUers on this case. The article says 14 other people were indicted in this case but the truck driver is the only one that gets the death penalty charge. Should he? I don't believe in the death penalty but I am leaning to say that I don't think it was because of his race. The guy did abandon the locked truck and there was no way those people could escape.

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. Easy solution: give all of them the death penalty

It's Texas.

[Jack_DeLeon]

2. Thats bullshit.

the reason the black guy is getting the death penalty is that he is the one most directly responsible for the deaths happening.

He just abandoned that trailer and left it locked up, knowing there were people inside.

All the other people involved never wanted anyone to die they wanted those people to make it safely into the United States.

IMO the driver is entirely responsible for the deaths, and he should die.

[atreides1]

3. Oh Great All Seeing Eye

Can you tell the rest of us normal humans, how you know that the other people involved didn't want those immigrant workers to die.

How do you know that he wasn't told by one of the others charged to leave them. And what proof do you have that all the other people involved never wanted anyone to die, what proof do you have that the "black guy" wanted them to die, maybe like some others he was following his orders.

All joking aside.

Here in Arizona we have what's called the felony murder law. If during the commission of a felony, should anyone die, be it a victim or one of those involved in the crime, all suspects can be charged with murder.

Let's face facts, if the other 14, didn't try to break the law by bringing in illegal workers, then the driver wouldn't have been
hauling his "cargo", now would he?

They should all be charged with felony murder, and they should all face the death penalty. Maybe if all were charged, and upon conviction were sentenced to death, it just might have an affect on
the others out there, who make a profit off of human misery.

[Jack_DeLeon]

4. lets use a little logic...

Can you tell the rest of us normal humans, how you know that the other people involved didn't want those immigrant workers to die.

Killing your customers is usually pretty bad for business.

How do you know that he wasn't told by one of the others charged to leave them. And what proof do you have that all the other people involved never wanted anyone to die, what proof do you have that the "black guy" wanted them to die, maybe like some others he was following his orders.

If that were the case perhaps he should use that in his defense, however it still does not excuse his murder, and IMO he should still face the death penalty either way.

Here in Arizona we have what's called the felony murder law. If during the commission of a felony, should anyone die, be it a victim or one of those involved in the crime, all suspects can be charged with murder.

Yes that is true in many states, I'm not sure if its true in Texas but it wouldnt surprise me if it was.

That being said were I on a jury I would not sentance accomplices to death if they killed no one themselves.

Let's face facts, if the other 14, didn't try to break the law by bringing in illegal workers, then the driver wouldn't have been
hauling his "cargo", now would he?

Yes lets face the facts, if the truck driver didnt abandon those people and left them locked up they would have lived. He is the one responsible for their deaths. He is the one that should pay the most.

Maybe if all were charged, and upon conviction were sentenced to death, it just might have an affect on
the others out there, who make a profit off of human misery.

I think thats a bullshit statement. People who smuggle others into the US arent profiting off of human misery, they arent slave traders, they are providing a service.

If you want to go ahead and blame everyone why dont you just go ahead and blame the US government for creating the need for such conditions.

That being said I think the truck driver is still the most responsible for the deaths, and he deserves to die.