The latest outrage to issue from this court is the stay of execution granted to convicted murderer Kevin Cooper, who was scheduled to die at California's San Quentin Prison at 12:01 Tuesday morning. Some background: On June 2, 1983, Cooper escaped from the California Institute for Men, about 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. He had been housed in a minimum-security area of the prison after being convicted of burglary under the alias David Trautman. (California authorities did not learn until too late that Cooper was an escapee from a Pennsylvania prison. Advances in fingerprint technology presumably would prevent such a lapse from occurring today.) There is uncontroverted evidence that Cooper, after fleeing the California prison, broke into and hid in an empty house in Chino Hills, about two miles away. Cooper made several calls to his girlfriend from the house, the last coming at about 8:00 P.M. on June 4.

On the night of June 4, four people were savagely murdered in the house next door to the one where Cooper had been hiding. A fifth victim miraculously survived the attack. The bodies of Doug and Peggy Ryen, their ten-year-old daughter Jessica, and eleven-year-old houseguest Chris Hughes were discovered the next day by Chris's father. Clinging to life was eight-year-old Joshua Ryen, who had spent some eleven hours with his fingers pressed to his bleeding throat while lying next to his dead mother. All the victims had been stabbed and hacked with a buck knife and a hatchet.

Cooper fled to Mexico, but was apprehended in July 1983 when he was accused of raping a woman at knifepoint. He was returned to San Bernardino County, tried, and convicted for the Chino Hills crimes, and sentenced to death. His case has wound its way through the various appellate courts ever since, and on Monday the U.S. Supreme Court refused to vacate the eleventh-hour stay granted by an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit.



Why is it that the liberals can believe this man but yet condem the soldiers before they have been tried? And dont tell me its the pictures. We had video of the Reginald Denny beating in L.A. during the Rodney King riots and the attackers walked.
I believe that many liberals are embarrased to be Americans. They see our military power as bad or maybe think that they can right all the wrongs of our past buy helping bring down the great nation. Now this is not directed at all who call themselves liberal just those that are militant or say things like; Get over it! when confronted with an issue.

Originally posted by Beirut_Veteran

Why is it that the liberals can believe this man but yet condem the soldiers before they have been tried? And dont tell me its the pictures. We had video of the Reginald Denny beating in L.A. during the Rodney King riots and the attackers walked.

What liberals? Believe what?

I believe that many liberals are embarrased to be Americans. They see our military power as bad or maybe think that they can right all the wrongs of our past buy helping bring down the great nation.

I must say Beirut, that your entire post is absurd. You describe a horrible crime and then digress into an unsubstantiated rant against liberals. How were liberals responsible here? Was the murderer a liberal? I'm sorry, but you don't tell us in your post. Just what point are you making?

Now this is not directed at all who call themselves liberal just those that are militant or say things like; Get over it! when confronted with an issue.

What issue are you confronting us with, and what is a "militant liberal"?

Ok vile did you read the post or just kind of look at it. The liberal Hollywood set says this man should be given another trial but yet the same group says that the soldiers are guilty without a trial.

I'm not a liberal, and I can't even see what kind of connection you are trying to make here.

Was there some kind of all-liberal jury? That the entire board of appeals is liberal? Or are you saying the whole state of California is liberal?

A stay of execution doesn't mean anyone believed anything. It just means they want to be absolutely sure they have the guy that did it before they take his life.

Lefty's don't always make the most sense to me, but they aren't the root of all evil.

Originally posted by Beirut_Veteran
Ok vile did you read the post or just kind of look at it. The liberal Hollywood set says this man should be given another trial but yet the same group says that the soldiers are guilty without a trial.

Yeah Beirut, I read the whole post. Twice. Nowhere in your post did you mention the "liberal Hollywood set", or talk about what they said or felt about this guy, or the troops in Iraq. If that's the point you were attempting to make, I suggest next time you include it in your post.