Statistically, You Have a Better Chance of Being Executed by Rick Perry Than Dying in a Plane Crash

[TalkingDog]

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/663741/statistically,_you_have_a_better_chance_of_being_executed_by_rick_perry_than_dying_in_an_airplane_crash

OK, maybe not you -- you may well live in a state other than Texas. And if you do live in the Lone Star State but you're white, that'll also decrease your odds of taking the needle. But in terms of overall population, Texans are more likely to have their execution order signed by Rick Perry than they are to die in an airplane crash.

[liberal N proud]

1. Sending that to my Texas relatives.

[TalkingDog]

2. Ha!

n/t

[Cool Logic]

3. Well then, anyone who happens to be living in, or passing through Texas...

should add an execution rider their life insurance plans.

[TalkingDog]

4. Yeah, you wouldn't want to get caught DWB or DWH in Texas... that'll get you the needle right there.

n/t

[Hoopla Phil]

5. The Texas Governor has NO power to stop an execution.

none,

zip,

nada

[TalkingDog]

6. So he doesn't sign execution orders?

Does the story have it wrong?

[rfranklin]

7. The governor can issue a 30-day stay...

Without a court ruling or parole board recommendation, there is only one person that can stop the execution, and that is the governor, who has the unilateral authority to grant a 30-day stay. This power may be used only once per prisoner. Even if the execution ends up being delayed for years, when it is ultimately reset, the governor (or his/her successor) may not issue another stay for that prisoner. Because of this, the governor always waits until every other last resort has failed, which means that if a stay is issued, it will be within hours or even minutes of the execution time.

If the governor is out of the state, the emergency appeal authority rests in the hands of the lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor is independently elected and may be of a different political party and/or ideology than the governor. The absent governor may express his opinions or wishes, but the lieutenant governor is not legally required to defer to them.

Although the governor's power to intervene is called a 30-day stay, in reality it is usually longer -- months, years, even decades -- before the execution is carried out. But, it cannot be carried out for at least 30 days, and any further delays beyond 30 days are under the control of the courts and the parole board, not the governor.

http://www.txexecutions.org/primer.asp

[LooseWilly]

8. One more reason NEVER to fly through DFW EVER again... it just compounds the risks...

Math doesn't lie. :+