Richard Dieter Quotes on Time (4 Quotes)

What's needed is some growing evidence from the states that they want to ban executing minors. More state governors and legislatures have to weigh in. They need some momentum in the next year or two for the justices to say, now is the time to decide this.

Whether this act (lying to agents) fits the federal death penalty law may have been a tougher question without his testimony. Whether his acts a month or months ahead of time directly caused these deaths is a good question. The fact that the defendant himself says they were directly connected doesn't necessarily prove it, but it was enough for the jury.

This seems to be cobbled together in short notice and without significant review. It's not absolutely essential that each person be executed on time, if there's this kind of uncertainty. I find it somewhat amazing that they could have a judge change the procedure and then change it again all while this person's not knowing even how he's going to be executed.

It would be counterproductive to force the issue, then have a 5-4 vote that juveniles can be executed, ... The issue then may not be revisited for a long time. It may be a better thing for the issue to percolate, for states to ban executing minors on their own, instead of being forced to by the courts.