Christa Pike -where does she stand legally?

[mids2019]

Just this really. Christ a is obviously being giving life saving treatment at hospital but where does she now stand legally. I suppose she probably has irreversible brain damage so will this not allow a second execution to take place? Is this a cruel and unusual punishment?

[Note from MNHQ - edited your title, OP]

This whole thing is awful. They tried to kill her twice, now they’re desperately trying to save her life? To what end? And she’s now most likely brain damaged anyway?

I don’t think it takes away from her crime to recognise that this human being has been broken in so many ways by so many people.

Totally agree. I don't agree with it either but the levels of fuckedupness in this situation are off the scale. But then this is a country where at least two states wanted to use veterinary grade barbiturates to put people to death when they couldn't get hold of human grade barbiturates because the manufacturers put a halt to their products being used to murder people at the state's behest.

I guess if it’s not a medical professional doing it then they’re not going to be as good. I did read that Christa’s lawyers had argued she had issues with poor veins.

My veins are shocking and even a consultant anaesthetist struggled to take blood from me last time I needed it done. Doctors frequently have around ten attempts before they’re successful and on one memorable occasion used a vein in my groin to get a blood sample which was a bit embarrassing as i didn’t have knickers on!

so if her veins were bad maybe they did miss.

i hadn’t thought about her possibly being brain Damaged by this until reading this thread. Awful. She could spend the rest of her life needing medical care 24/7.

Barbaric on all levels.

I do not agree with capital punishment, but if you ARE going to have it as a sentence then you have a responsibility to ensure that your method of choice is fast and effective, at the very least.

The Guillotine was one of the most humane methods.

Sorry I shouldn't have laughed but that did make me giggle despite the situation!
You're right, she had the most awful experiences growing up, I feel for her in that way but so do a lot of people and they don't murder. I think she is quite manipulative too, from what I've read. She did apparently try to kill a fellow inmate in 2001 so I wouldn't want her set free. But I do think her sentence should now be commuted to life without parole, if indeed it's possible to do that.
I think due to all tbe media coverage we are all beginning to forget the real victim and her family.

I hadn't realised that. So many different things being reported!
i don't really agree with the death penalty either.

A number of US states have abolished or suspended the death penalty to avoid this. They can't get the execution drugs and don't want to go back to the electric chair. Also, the death penalty is costly with all the appeals.

Omg 🤣🤣

True true, I had forgotten about her prison murder-y tendencies.

But yes, as far as I know we don't know how much her health has been damaged yet. She shouldn't have this attempted again.

US Law is bloody stupid though IMO, and I don't know to what extent the powers-that-be would be willing/able to go to to make holes in it for her.

Why they couldn't use another method, given her vein condition I do not know.

The stay got overturned and they tried to execute her last night

Released? So many do gooders on Mumsnet...that's not justice for what she did to Colleen. Colleen's poor Mum.

Killing anyone is inhumane? Shame Christa didnt agree with that statement.

I was thinking that. Also horrible but it’s pretty unambiguous.

It's braver to call for mercy than it is vengeance.

I for one am heartened there are so many brave people willing to stand up here.

Life in prison. Not ‘death row’. I don’t believe in the death penalty, so I don’t think death row should exist.

And not one mention of Colleen in your post. That's what's appalling.. If she had not brutally tortured and murdered her she wouldnt have ended up in death row in the first place.

She wasn't in solitary when she tried to murder a fellow prisoner.

I don't get the, "Christ a pike".

I understand you are talking about Christa Pike, the woman who survived execution. You used 'Christ a' twice, do you not proof read your posts before sending?

Typo/autocorrect. It’s Christa Pike.

I was just reading about that! There's a pub in the Grass market in Edinburgh named after her I think.

She was actually. There was a fire, and they were all removed from their cells to a shared holding area. That case is not as clear-cut as the media likes to make it sound. There was a strong argument for self-defence. It should also be taken in the context of being an action committed by a woman who, at 18 years old, already deeply traumatised and damaged, was sentenced to death, and spent decades in isolation.

Should Pike recover, I doubt she will ever be safe for release, but that does not mean that we shouldn't recognise the fact that we should have done better.

I will never agree with the death penalty. For many reasons. One being it makes no sense. "Murder is illegal so as a punishment I will murder you". Double standards. Lock someone up for life, absolutely. Murder them? No.

None of this is justice, It’s vengeance. There is no justice for Colleen’s family.

Good grief. How fucked up is that?