Brain Scans Used In Murder Sentencing

sciencehabit writes "For what may be the first time, fMRI scans of brain activity have been used as evidence in the sentencing phase of a murder trial. Defense lawyers for an Illinois man convicted of raping and killing a 10-year-old girl used the scans to argue that their client should be spared the death penalty because he has a brain disorder. Some experts say the scans are irrelevant because they were taken 20+ years after the crimes were committed. Others point out that the scans are only being considered because the sentencing phase of a trial has less stringent standards about evidence than those used to establish a defendant's innocence or guilt." In the Illinois case, the fMRI defense didn't help the defendant, whom a jury sentenced to death.

Comments

Re:So, you still have the death penalty...

[tjstork]

So, you still have the death penalty.......the human life is the highest good there is so nobody - NOBODY (including the state) has the right to decide that someone deserves to die - even if that guy killed a lot of people.

We barbarians would note that we would extend the franchise of life to the unborn, whereas you blissfully ignore that. So you can take your "civilization" and shove it up your ass. I mean, you would keep a convicted murderer alive but rip a baby out of its mother and flush it. Wow, you guys have some priorities.