MaxFly Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 SAN FRANCISCO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday refused to spare the life of Stanley Tookie Williams, the founder of the murderous Crips gang who awaited execution after midnight in a case that stirred debate over capital punishment and the possibility of redemption on death row. Schwarzenegger was unswayed by pleas from Hollywood stars and petitions from more than 50,000 people who said that Williams had made amends during more than two decades in prison by writing a memoir and children’s books about the dangers of gangs. “After studying the evidence, searching the history, listening to the arguments and wrestling with the profound consequences, I could find no justification for granting clemency,” Schwarzenegger said, less than 12 hours before the execution. “The facts do not justify overturning the jury’s verdict or the decisions of the courts in this case.” Schwarzenegger could have commuted the death sentence to life in prison without parole. With a reprieve from the federal courts considered unlikely, Williams, 51, was set to die by injection at San Quentin State Prison early Tuesday for murdering four people in two 1979 holdups. Williams’ fate became one of the nation’s biggest death-row cause celebres in decades. No guilty plea from Williams Prosecutors and victims’ advocates contended Williams was undeserving of clemency from the governor because he did not own up to his crimes and refused to inform on fellow gang members. They also argued that the Crips gang that Williams co-founded in Los Angeles in 1971 is responsible for hundreds of deaths, many of them in battles with the rival Bloods for turf and control of the drug trade. A statement released from the California governor’s office on Monday emphasized Williams’ guilty charge. “The possible irregularities in Williams’ trial have been thoroughly and carefully reviewed by the courts, and there is no reason to disturb the judicial decisions that uphold the jury’s decisions that he is guilty of these four murders and should pay with his life,” the statement said. Williams is set to become the 12th California condemned inmate executed since lawmakers reinstated the death penalty in 1977 after a brief hiatus. Williams was condemned in 1981 for gunning down a clerk in a convenience store holdup and a mother, father and daughter in a motel robbery weeks later. Williams claimed he was innocent. The last time a California governor granted clemency was in 1967, when Ronald Reagan spared a mentally infirm killer. Schwarzenegger — a Republican who has come under fire from members of his own party as too accommodating to liberals — rejected clemency twice before during his two years in office. Just before the governor announced his decision on clemency, the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals said it would not intervene because, among other things, there was no “clear and convincing evidence of actual innocence.” In his last-ditch appeal, Williams claimed that he should have been allowed to argue at his trial that someone else killed one of the four victims, and that shoddy forensics connected him to the other killings. Williams was convicted of killing Yen-I Yang, 76, Tsai-Shai Chen Yang, 63, and Yu-Chin Yang Lin, 43, at a Los Angeles motel the family owned, and Albert Owens, 26, a 7-Eleven clerk gunned down in Whittier. Celebrities fight for Williams Among the celebrities who took up Williams’ cause were Jamie Foxx, who played the gang leader in a cable movie about Williams; rapper Snoop Dogg, himself a former Crip; Sister Helen Prejean, the nun depicted in “Dead Man Walking”; Bianca Jagger; and former “M.A.S.H” star Mike Farrell. During Williams’ 24 years on death row, a Swiss legislator, college professors and others nominated him for the Nobel Prizes in peace and literature. “If Stanley Williams does not merit clemency,” defense attorney Peter Fleming Jr. asked, “what meaning does clemency retain in this state?” The impending execution resulted in feverish preparations over the weekend by those on both sides of the debate, with the California Highway Patrol planning to tighten security outside the prison, where hundreds of protesters were expected. A group of about three dozen death penalty protesters were joined by the Rev. Jesse Jackson as they marched across the Golden Gate Bridge after dawn Monday en route to the gates of San Quentin, where they were expected to rally with hundreds of people. At least publicly, the person apparently least occupied with his fate seemed to be Williams himself. “Me fearing what I’m facing, what possible good is it going to do for me? How is that going to benefit me?” Williams said in a recent interview. “If it’s my time to be executed, what’s all the ranting and raving going to do?” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vipa Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 I don't know what to think about this. On one hand, he started the crips, and murdered 4 people, on the other hand,m since he's seen new light. Apologized for the Crips, Wrote Books to help steer kids in the right direction, nominated for what was it? 5 Nobel peace Prizes.. Tough call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcpbball30 Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 It is a tough call, I wouldn't know what to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3cookies Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I'm glad that I'm not in the position to have 2 make this kind of decision. I saw "redemption" and its really something 2 think abt in how he's changed alot of lives from his outreach from prison, admitting to his wrongdoing, and actually making a difference. But regardless, I'm sure he's gonna be remembered for both the negative vs positive contributions he's made ((as a "crip" gang member vs a 'changed' man)) as a result... peace, cookie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxFly Posted December 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I have fundamental issues with the death penalty itself. This whole thing is pretty overwhehlming. A lot of people will ask "How can you commiserate with someone convicted of murder?" He's still a human being, and I can't help but feel bad for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic1988 Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I heard a story from this guy who called in a radio show I listen to and he was growing up on compton, his mom was an addict and his dad wasn't around alot. but he was in school during the regan administration where he was talked to by an ex-con. he knew what to do and he is currently 2 years away from his PHD!!!! it seems that ex-cons should be around. also this guy was trying to redeem himself, he shouldn't get the death penalty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerkot Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Im extremely against DP.. so then you know what I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bea321 Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I hope Stanley Williams will haunt Arnold's nights... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turntable Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 So Arnie did terminate him. Well he`s from Austria.. He doesn`t know better lol I have the same opinion as Lerkot on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 dont know the full details on this....so im not sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic1988 Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I found the audio clip of what I was talking about in my previous post. listen to this: http://www.airamericaradio.com/onnow/clips/clip/2264 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnazz Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Im extremely against DP.. so then you know what I think. :word: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 airamerica radio..bwahahahhahahhahahahhahahahahahhahahah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Hero1 Posted December 13, 2005 Admin Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Im extremely against DP.. so then you know what I think. :word: :word: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic1988 Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 airamerica radio..bwahahahhahahhahahahhahahahahahhahahah\ conservatives :shakehead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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