Death Penalty -- not political, but literary

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franktangredi
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Re: Death Penalty -- not political, but literary

#26 Post by franktangredi » Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:21 am

mrkelley23 wrote: My home state might be a good setting. Indiana has the death penalty, has tinkered with it over the years to accommodate the US Supreme Court, but doesn't have an assembly line like Texas. This site has some interesting facts about Indiana and its attitudes toward the death penalty. The last execution in Indiana (in 2009) was a multiple murder committed by a disgruntled ex-husband, and the crime was committed less than 2 miles from my house, so needless to say I was interested in the outcome. In Indiana, there must be aggravating circumstances, and in most cases (just going by memory here, which may be faulty) the circumstances most likely to receive a death penalty are either having multiple victims, especially if young; or if a sex crime is committed in the course of the murder.

Good luck -- it's a fascinating topic, and since I live in a divided household (I'm against the death penalty, my wife is for it) it's one of profound interest to me.
I checked out the list of aggravating circumstances for the death penalty in Indiana, and I found two that perfectly fit my needs:
(3) The defendant committed the murder by lying in wait.
(9) The defendant was:
(A) under the custody of the department of correction;
(B) under the custody of a county sheriff;
(C) on probation after receiving a sentence for the commission of a felony; or
(D) on parole;
at the time the murder was committed.
God bless #3, because "lying in wait" was already one of the circumstances of my fictional crime. #9 (c or d) can easily be added on top of it. And this defendant is going to be particularly obnoxious and callous. (It's also not important to the plot that the sentence be carried out, only that it be imposed; it won't matter if the execution happens 20 years later or never.)

So thanks! I may still decide not to specify the state in the written text. But I'll write with more assurance knowing there's a real setting in my mind to which I can match the circumstances.

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franktangredi
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Re: Death Penalty -- not political, but literary

#27 Post by franktangredi » Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:23 am

Thank you everyone for your help! I think that, in my mind, the play will probably take place in Indiana, even if I never actually say so in the text.

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mrkelley23
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Re: Death Penalty -- not political, but literary

#28 Post by mrkelley23 » Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:21 pm

franktangredi wrote:Thank you everyone for your help! I think that, in my mind, the play will probably take place in Indiana, even if I never actually say so in the text.
Well, if you need any context or local color, feel free to message me, or send email to mrkelley 23 @ gmail . com.

I noticed the last Lee Child book I read was set in Indiana, but obviously in a very fictional town. If you need medium-sized cities, Indiana's not a good place, because it's Indianapolis and then a bunch of small towns. Even Evansville and Fort Wayne, the two next-biggest, are really just overgrown small towns.

What I've read of yours, I've loved.
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franktangredi
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Re: Death Penalty -- not political, but literary

#29 Post by franktangredi » Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:23 pm

mrkelley23 wrote:
franktangredi wrote:Thank you everyone for your help! I think that, in my mind, the play will probably take place in Indiana, even if I never actually say so in the text.
Well, if you need any context or local color, feel free to message me, or send email to mrkelley 23 @ gmail . com.

I noticed the last Lee Child book I read was set in Indiana, but obviously in a very fictional town. If you need medium-sized cities, Indiana's not a good place, because it's Indianapolis and then a bunch of small towns. Even Evansville and Fort Wayne, the two next-biggest, are really just overgrown small towns.
An overgrown small town would work; so would the suburb of a large city. The action is set in a family home. A restaurant with a dumpster behind it figures in the plot, but I figure that's universal. Snow in the winter is another need, but I know I'm okay there. And I assume every state has at least some disaffected kids who listen to rap. So I think all my elements are in place. But I may run some things past you as this play develops. Thanks!
What I've read of yours, I've loved.
And also -- THANKS!

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DevilKitty100
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Re: Death Penalty -- not political, but literary

#30 Post by DevilKitty100 » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:35 pm

franktangredi wrote:
mrkelley23 wrote:
franktangredi wrote:Thank you everyone for your help! I think that, in my mind, the play will probably take place in Indiana, even if I never actually say so in the text.
Well, if you need any context or local color, feel free to message me, or send email to mrkelley 23 @ gmail . com.

I noticed the last Lee Child book I read was set in Indiana, but obviously in a very fictional town. If you need medium-sized cities, Indiana's not a good place, because it's Indianapolis and then a bunch of small towns. Even Evansville and Fort Wayne, the two next-biggest, are really just overgrown small towns.
An overgrown small town would work; so would the suburb of a large city. The action is set in a family home. A restaurant with a dumpster behind it figures in the plot, but I figure that's universal. Snow in the winter is another need, but I know I'm okay there. And I assume every state has at least some disaffected kids who listen to rap. So I think all my elements are in place. But I may run some things past you as this play develops. Thanks!
What I've read of yours, I've loved.
And also -- THANKS!

Heck, just pretend you're writing for the bored.......no factual basis for anything required. :mrgreen:

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tlynn78
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Re: Death Penalty -- not political, but literary

#31 Post by tlynn78 » Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:28 pm

Montana has the death penalty for certain crimes. Last carried out in 2006. There are currently two men on death row, one a Canadian. There is currently a murder case working through the system with the dp on the table; two individuals kidnapped and killed a 40-something school teacher out for a jog. I think there is a bill working its way through the legislature to abolish the dp (may be tabled at this point) Here's a link, might be the same one already posted: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/categor ... es/montana

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minimetoo26
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Re: Death Penalty -- not political, but literary

#32 Post by minimetoo26 » Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:59 am

Virginia does indeed use the death penalty, and we're second behind Texas in number of executions.

But we're south of Mason-Dixon, even if we're not particularly Southern, at least in the northern or eastern parts of the state.
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Bob Juch
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Re: Death Penalty -- not political, but literary

#33 Post by Bob Juch » Wed Oct 10, 2012 9:35 am

I just saw that South Dakota has an execution scheduled soon.
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