December 3, 2006
Article Example
Cheating the Executioner
Texas has the largest population of prisoners on death row than any other death sentence state. It may be assumed that the taxpayers of Texas are in some ways given a break by the short life span expected of these prisoners. They are not expected to support these offenders for decades on end. The truth is that these prisoners are maintained also with moneys collected from the taxes of Neelyville, Mo workers. This collection process is called the Federal Tax obligation of the public. No matter where the funds come from Texas is very protective of their right to judge and discipline its citizens as they see fit. They are protective to the point of being a bit ridiculous.
In 1995, Mr. Jeff Wetterman, 27, was working at his family owned gas station and convenience store near Waco, Texas. An amount of gasoline, totaling $24 was dispensed into a stolen vehicle. The occupants of that vehicle were David Vest and Michael Dewayne Johnson, who were 18. The pair gunned down Mr. Wetterman as they fled the business.
As is often the case each accused the other of the actual murder of Wetterman. Vest was convicted after accepting a plea bargain for testifying against his friend and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Johnson received the death sentence.
Eleven years later, after several appeals, just 15 hours before his date with the executioner, Johnson committed suicide. He had acquired a blade. Presumably, he had somehow gotten away with not returning a disposable razor he was issued. The cells of death row prisoners are searched every 72 hours. Johnson’s cell had been searched just the day before his suicide. Officials state that they are not really sure where the weapon came from.
Thirty-six hours before a prisoner is scheduled for lethal injection, prison staff is required to make routine checks on the prisoner every 15 minutes. Johnson is reported to have talked with the officer on duty and expressed his desire for breakfast. He did not seem any different from any other day over the last 11 years. His lawyer, Greg White, stated, “I’ve never seen him not in good spirits,” White said. “I’m not trained in those things, but just from a common person’s standpoint, we just never had conversation that he was near the end and `I’m doomed’ and any of that kind of stuff.”
Johnson would have been the 22nd Texas inmate executed this year. The state has 390 people on death row at this time. The national news wire service article gives no further information on this incident. Feeling there was something more to the story, I contacted a local Texas news agency. Through instant messaging over the Internet I learned that there is a thorough investigation in place to discover how Johnson accomplished his suicide. Prison official have indicated that any and all measures will be taken to prevent this type of behavior from reoccurring. Without having said it, I get the impression that the reporter, Laura Millous, is telling me that the warden is out for blood and wants to place blame on the rolling, detached head of one of our federal employees for allowing this travesty.
In 2002 a prisoner attempted suicide several days before his scheduled execution. Guards, discovering the attempt, had the prisoner moved to the hospital ward where thousands of dollars in medical treatment was used to revive and make the prisoner well. He was executed 32 days after his release from the hospital. Does this make any sense at all to any of you? Who really cares if execution officers’ number 9, 5 and 8, with the assistance of medical personnel or Michael Dewayne Johnson is the actual executioner? True, Johnson maintained his innocence, (like most convicted by our judicial system), throughout his incarceration. But the fact remains that this man was going to be put to death on the very same day that he ended his life without the assistance of prison employees. No matter the means of delivery, death was imminent. Our government institutions have a truly unique set of excuses to use to waste our money with no regard for any form of common sense.
The bigger question is why do we allow it? The typical answer is; “What can we do? It‘s out of our hands.”
The facts that this article have been based on came from Rueter’s News Service. An international news wire.
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