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John Kerry on Crime
Jr Senator (MA), Democratic nominee for President
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Opposes death penalty except for post 9-11 terrorists
AD ANNOUNCER: John Kerry has a little problem making up his mind. Okay, a big problem. In 1996 he opposed the death penalty for terrorists. Now he claims to support it. Sometimes he's for welfare reform, sometimes against it. For a 50-cent gas tax hike,
then maybe not. Kerry voted for higher taxes 350 times, but now says he'd cut taxes. John Kerry-blowing in the wind.ANALYSIS: A Club for Growth ad accurately cites that Kerry once opposed the death penalty for terrorists and now supports it.
During a 1996 Senate campaign debate, Kerry said anti-death penalty countries wouldn't allow the US to extradite suspected terrorists: "the death penalty would amount to a terrorist protection policy. My policy would put them in jail." In 2002 he said,
"I support killing people who declare war on our country, just as I was prepared to kill people personally & collectively in Vietnam." Kerry still opposes the death penalty in other cases. His explanation is that he responded to changed facts [of 9-11]
Source: Ad-Watch analysis by Fact Check.org
Jul 29, 2004
States should not engage in killing-too many mistakes
Q: You are against capital punishment, except in the case of terrorism. KERRY: Correct.
Q: So a person who kills a 5-year-old should live?
KERRY: My instinct is to want to strangle that person with my own hands.
I understand the instincts, I really do. I prosecuted people. I know what the feeling of the families is and everybody else. But we have 111 people who have been now released from death row -- death row, let alone the rest of the prison system
-- because of DNA evidence that showed they didn't commit the crime of which they were convicted. Our system has made mistakes, and it's been applied in a way that I think is wrong.
Secondly, most of the other nations in the world, have adopted that idea, that the state should not engage in killing, because they have very bad memories of what happens when the state engages in killing.
Source: Democratic 2004 primary debate at USC
Feb 26, 2004
Moratorium on federal executions-only exception is terrorism
Q: Do you support the death penalty?A: I oppose the death penalty other than in cases of real international and domestic terrorism. We know we have put innocent people to death; 111 innocent people have already been released from death row.
As president, I'll enforce the law but I'll also have a national moratorium on federal executions until we use DNA evidence to make sure those on death row are guilty.
Source: Associated Press policy Q&A, "Death Penalty"
Jan 25, 2004
Death penalty for Osama bin Laden
"No, we can't beat Bush by being Bush-lite," Kerry said, using a favorite phrase of Dean's. "But we also can't beat George Bush by being light on national security, light on fairness for middle-class Americans, and light on the values that make us
Democrats." Speaking to reporters after his speech, Kerry said of Dean's bin Laden remark: "The question asked [to Dean] was, do you believe Osama bin Laden should be tried in the United States and given the death penalty? The answer to both questions is
a simple yes. Yes and Yes." A Dean aide cited another recent interview in which Dean said: "As a president, I would have to defend the process of the rule of law. But as an American, I want to make sure he gets the death penalty he deserves."
Dean recently issued a statement clarifying his position on bin Laden, after a newspaper account suggested he thought the Al Qaeda leader could be innocent. All he meant, Dean said, was that everyone, including terrorists, deserves a fair trial.
Source: Patrick Healy & Anne Kornblut, Boston Globe, p. A10
Dec 28, 2003
Bush wants to eliminate federal assistance to local police
I voted for the USA Patriot Act in the Senate right after 9/11 to advance our security at home but I am concerned that John Ashcroft's Justice Department is abusing its powers, especially in targeting immigrants for scrutiny and detention. I think the
Bush administration is relying far too much on extraordinary police powers and not enough on regular policing in its homeland security efforts, a result of its ideologically driven obsession with eliminating federal assistance to local law enforcement.
Source: A Call to Service, by John Kerry, p.177
Oct 1, 2003
A state doesn't honor life by sanctioning killing
I know something about killing. I don't like killing. And I don't think a state honors life by turning around and sanctioning killing. Now, that's just a personal belief that I have.
Source: KERRY/WELD: CNN WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, CNN.com
Sep 17, 1996
Voted YES on $1.15 billion per year to continue the COPS program.
Vote on an amendment to authorize $1.15 billion per year from 2000 through 2005 to continue and expand the Community Oriented Policing Services program. $600 million of the annual funding is marked for hiring additional officers [up to 50,000]
Bill S.254
; vote number 1999-139
on May 20, 1999
Voted NO on limiting death penalty appeals.
Vote to table, or kill, a motion to send the bill back to the joint House-Senate conference committee with instructions to delete the provisions in the bill that would make it harder for prisoners given the death penalty in state courts to appeal
Bill S.735
; vote number 1996-66
on Apr 17, 1996
Voted NO on limiting product liability punitive damage awards.
Approval of a limit on punitive damages in product liability cases.
Status: Conf Rpt Agreed to Y)59; N)40; NV)1
Reference: Conference Report on H.R. 956;
Bill H. R. 956
; vote number 1996-46
on Mar 21, 1996
Voted YES on restricting class-action lawsuits.
Restriction of class-action security lawsuits.
Status: Veto Overridden Y)68; N)30; P)1
Reference: H.R. 1058 passage over veto;
Bill H.R. 1058
; vote number 1995-612
on Dec 22, 1995
Voted YES on repealing federal speed limits.
Repeal federal speeding limits.
Status: Motion to Table Agreed to Y)64; N)36
Reference: Motion to table Lautenberg Amdt #1428;
Bill S. 440
; vote number 1995-270
on Jun 20, 1995
Voted NO on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms.
Vote on the motion to instruct conferees on the bill to insist that the conference report include Mandatory prison terms for the use, possession, or carrying of a firearm or destructive device during a state crime of violence or drug trafficking
Bill HR.3355
; vote number 1994-126
on May 19, 1994
Voted NO on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals.
Vote to express that the Omnibus Crime bill [H.R. 3355] should reject the Racial Justice Act provisions, which would enable prisoners appealing death penalty sentences to argue racial discrimination using sentencing statistics as part of their appeal.
Bill S 1935
; vote number 1994-106
on May 11, 1994
Rated 63% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation.
Kerry scores 63% by CURE on rehabilitation issues
CURE (Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants) is a membership organization of families of prisoners, prisoners, former prisoners and other concerned citizens. CURE's two goals are
- to use prisons only for those who have to be in them; and
- for those who have to be in them, to provide them all the rehabilitative opportunities they need to turn their lives around.
The ratings indicate the legislator’s percentage score on CURE’s preferred votes.
Source: CURE website 00n-CURE on Dec 31, 2000
More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes.
Kerry sponsored the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act:
Title: To provide Federal assistance to States and local jurisdictions to prosecute hate crimes.
Summary: Provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any violent crime that is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of hate crime laws.
- Award grants to assist State and local law enforcement officials with extraordinary expenses for interstate hate crimes.
- Award grants to State and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles.
- Prohibit specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
- Increase criminal sentencing for adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes.
- Collect and publish data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender.
Source: House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HR1343 on Apr 3, 2001
Require DNA testing for all federal executions.
Kerry sponsored the Innocence Protection Act:
Title: To reduce the risk that innocent persons may be executed.
Summary: Authorizes a person convicted of a Federal crime to apply for DNA testing to support a claim that the person did not commit: - the Federal crime of which the person was convicted; or
- any other offense that a sentencing authority may have relied upon when it sentenced the person with respect to such crime.
- Prohibits a State from denying an application for DNA testing made by a prisoner in State custody who is under sentence of death if specified conditions apply.
- Provides grants to prosecutors for DNA testing programs.
- Establishes the National Commission on Capital Representation.
- Withholds funds from States not complying with standards for capital representation.
- Provides for capital defense incentive grants and resource grants.
- Increases compensation in Federal cases, and sets forth provisions regarding compensation in State cases, where an individual is unjustly sentenced to death.
- Adds a certification requirement in Federal death penalty prosecutions.
- Expresses the sense of Congress regarding the execution of juvenile offenders and the mentally retarded.
Source: House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HR912 on Mar 7, 2001
Establish an FBI registry of sexual offendors.
Kerry sponsored the Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act
- Establish a national database at the FBI to track each person who has been convicted of a criminal offense against a minor or a sexually violent offense; or is a sexually violent predator.
- Requires each such person who resides in a State that has not established a minimally sufficient sexual offender registration program to register a current address, fingerprints, and a current photograph with the FBI for inclusion in such database, except during ensuing periods of incarceration
- This requirement extends until ten years after the date on which the person was released from prison or placed on parole or probation; or for the life of the person if that person has two or more convictions for any such offense, has been convicted of aggravated sexual abuse, or has been determined to be a sexually violent predator.
Corresponding House bill is H.R.3456. Became Public Law No: 104-236.
Source: Bill sponsored by 15 Senators and 3 Reps 96-S1675 on Apr 16, 1996