Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american,talk.politics.misc
From: mfriedma@uucp (Michael Friedman)
Subject: Re: The scheduled execution of William Andrews
Organization: Oracle Corporation
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 18:39:12 GMT
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In article <1992Jul21.163740.18444@unislc.uucp> lae@unislc.UUCP (Leslie Evans,B2C10,5383) writes:
>In article <1992Jul20.045228.20592@oracle.us.oracle.com> mfriedma@uucp (Michael Friedman) writes:
>>In article <1992Jul20.013315.18993@leland.Stanford.EDU> james@objy.com writes:

>(Information on the heinous Ogden HI-FI murders deleted)

>>>It is important to note...

>>>that a man named David Hoffman, a white Mormon  
>>>killed two people who knew because he was afraid that they had figured out  
>>>that he had sold phony, supposedly sacred, documents to the LDS (Latter  
>>>Day Saints - Mormon) Church.  He built bombs from galvanized pipe, nails  
>>>and explosives and put them at the victims residences dressed up as mailed  
>>>packages.  The two people's bodies were blown in several parts.  Hoffman's  
>>>case was settled out of court and he is now in medium security prison.  He  
>>>may be released in the next five years.

>>1.  It wasn't settle out of court.  You don't get sent to jail without
>>going to court.

>>2.  Hoffman, as I remember it, plead guilty.  It's a lot tougher to
>>get the death penalty if you plead guilty.

>>3.  The death penalty usually requires aggravating factors.  Andrews
>>has torture as an aggravating factor.  Hoffman?  Well, premeditation,
>>but Andrews had that too.

>>4.  If you've got a problem with Hoffman getting off why don't you try
>>to get the death penalty used on more murderers both white and black
>>instead of trying to get people like Andrews off too?

>I believe there has been some misinformation here. Andrew's reason 
>for going to the Hi-Fi Shop that night was to steal some stereo
>equipment.  Those murders were not premeditated. 

Do you have any evidence for this beyond Andrews' own claims?  Why
were they armed?  What did they paln to do to the employees?

>Mark Hoffman's murders
>were.  And supposedly the state DA sought out Hoffman's lawyer to try to
>keep the case from coming to court.  Seems the LDS church was worried there
>might be some adverse publicity from the hearings (rumor was Mark had some
>dirt on church leaders).

Who makes this claim?  Do you have any evidence for it whatsoever?

>Also, a white man named Joseph Paul Franklin is also serving life for
>killing 2 black men who were doing nothing more than jogging with a
>white woman.  Apparently the life of a black man is not considered as
>important in the state of Utah.

Details details details...

Did Franklin torture his victims before killing them?  Did he plead
guilty or was there a plea bargain?  Did his crime occur before or
after Utah reinstituted the death penalty?

Also, why not push to make the death penalty easier to get so that
people like Franklin can get the death penalty too instead of getting
Andrews off?

>>>While I don't know as much about the Hoffman case, it is the case which  
>>>many in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas point to as evidence that  
>>>racism underlies the planned execution of Andrews. 

>>Many?  Who is this 'many'?  I can find many idiots anywhere I go.
>>Want to explain why you think Hoffman's crime is on the same level as
>>Andrews'? 

>So you don't feel that people who've had a hole blown through them are
>as heinous as drinking Drano?  What about Mrs. Sheets, who was killed
>only because she happened go out for the mail that day instead of her 
>husband?  And that her children had a full view of her murder?  

Well, when we come right down to it we have a torture murder with a
rape versus a murder.  Which do you think is worse?

>I am not saying that what Andrews and Selby did wasn't horrid.  They 
>should be made to pay for their crime (and Mr. Selby did, with his life).
>But let's have equal justice here!  If Hoffman and Franklin are serving
>life, Andrews should too.

Well, some murderers get off scot free.  Should we let all three out
of jail?  If not then why shouldn't we execute Andrews even though
Hoffman and Franklin are getting away with their lives?
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