First of the Year

“First of the Year” stories headline the news on January 2. Heartwarming accounts of The First Baby Born are balanced by The First Drunk Driving Death.

Fox News (Fair and Balanced) had its own First for 2023. Yesterday, Missouri had the First Execution of the Year. Making the story even juicier for the Fox News Faithful, Amber McLaughlin was the first transgender person ever executed in America. Of course, the Missouri Governor’s office claimed that Amber’s “sexual identity is not relevant or remarkable and was not considered in her appeal for clemency.”

I guess all those Republican campaign ads stoking fear of “grooming” our innocent schoolchildren into transgender monsters had no effect in Missouri.

I wonder if, as a juror, I could impose the death penalty. Amber’s jury found her guilty of murdering her ex-girlfriend, but deadlocked on the death penalty. Unfortunately for Amber, Missouri and Indiana are the only two states where a trial judge can impose the death penalty when the jury is deadlocked. Why even have the jury consider it then? The judge is going to do what he wants anyway. Amber’s judge, “law and order” to his core, did so.

Amber’s judge also refused to allow testimony regarding Amber’s childhood sexual abuse at the hands of foster families and medical testimony regarding her mental health. That sexual abuse involved Tasers, by the way, which will screw anyone up mentally.

I am quite sure that, as a juror, I would not impose the death penalty on a horrific childhood sexual abuse survivor. I am also quite sure that, as Missouri Governor, I would not be so anxious to prove my “Law & Order” qualifications I would refuse clemency for Amber. I would be a Big Man at the next Republican Governor’s Conference though. “Take that, Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis! I executed a convict before you did this year!”

By Ed Dufton