Anti-Abortion Protesters Want Hill's Execution Stopped

[Judi Lynn]

Anti-Abortion Protesters Want Hill's Execution Stopped
The Associated Press
Published: Aug 26, 2003


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - An attorney who represents anti-abortion protesters asked the state Supreme Court on Tuesday to stop the execution of Paul Hill, who wants to die next month for the murders of a Pensacola abortion doctor and a clinic escort.

The lawyer, Michael Hirsh, of Kennesaw, Ga., and attorney Roger J. Frechette, of New Haven, Conn., argue Hill can't be put to death until he's served two federal life sentences for the same crime. Frechette once before filed an appeal with a federal court over Hill's objections, but that was rejected in 1997.

Hill, 49, is scheduled to be executed Sept. 3 for the 1994 murder of Dr. John Bayard Britton and retired Air Force Lt. Col. James Barrett. He has filed no appeals.

Hill shot the men and Barrett's wife outside a Pensacola clinic where Britton performed abortions, saying the killings were justified because he was protecting unborn babies. Barrett's wife survived. (snip/...)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGA1HWWHUJD.html

[HawkerHurricane]

1. Off topic story

A man was serving a 40 year sentence for armed robbery (federal) when he escaped from prison and killed a police officer...
The state (Massachussetts?) found him guilty, and sentenced him to die.
His lawyer argued, successfully, that he could not serve his state punishment until the completion of his federal term.
So President Coolidge pardoned him of his federal crime, and he got the chair for a murder in Massachussetts.
So, can we see the same thing here?

[JackSwift]

2. I'm against the death penalty,

and I'm a lawyer, and a Coolidge critic, but I gotta say, that was cool.

[NickDanger]

4. I'm against the death penalty too

Until he can prove he is not a threat to anyone in the future, incarcerate him and make him earn his incarceration.

[ET Awful]

8. When was this?

Mass. doesn't have the death penalty currently.

[HawkerHurricane]

11. Well, if Coolidge was President

It must have been in the 1920's.

[David__77]

3. How touching...

I'm moved by their sense of love... Perhaps I'd feel something other than total disgust if these forces were anti-death penalty. With the exception of some Catholic forces who usually aren't a part of the more extreme confrontational forces, these people love the death penalty.

[veganwitch]

5. dont make him a martyr

as much as id love the pummel this guy, the state and anyone hope to stop clinic violence is in a lose-lose situation.

we can be seen as conceeding to the anti-choicers or we can kill him and make him a saint.

if the state kills him, he will be villified by those who are willing to die, and take abortion doctors with them.

[FredScuttle]

6. Gee that's funny....

I'm sure the families of Dr. Britton and Lt. Col. Barrett would have wanted their "executions" stopped as well.

I'm staunchly anti-death penalty, even for scum like this religious handjob. Better he spend the rest of his life in prison than become a martyr for a system that proves just as bloodthirsty.

[w4rma]

7. Fine with me. Lock him up for 2 federal life sentences.

I'm pro-life with regards to the death penalty. I'm pro-choice with regards to abortion: decrease *demand* for abortion, without increasing demand for backalley/coathanger abortions.

[realFedUp]

9. I'm against executing him

Stick him in jail for a long time.

[LynneSin]

10. STOP THE PRESSES: Lynne and anti-choice folks agree on something???!!!

We both want the execution of Paul Hill stoppped.

Of course I want it stopped because the death penalty is wrong

They want it stopped because, well, they're idiots who think this guy somehow was doing "God's work" by killing those 2 people.

Gee, these are probably the same folks outside the Alabama Judicial Building praying to keep the 10 Commandments in there and one of the commandments is "Thou Shall Not Kill" I wonder if that 2.5 ton Granite "Golden Cow" has fine print on it saying "Killing is ok if religious nut jobs claim they're killing for the name of God!"