Haugen death penalty fight heads to Oregon Supreme Court
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Supreme Court will decide whether a death row inmate can refuse the governor's reprieve.
Gary Haugen says he wants to die and has stopped appealing his aggravated murder conviction.
Gov. John Kitzhaber has vowed there will be no executions while he is governor. He issued the reprieve in November of last year.
A Marion County Circuit Court judge ruled in August that Haugen has the right to refuse the reprieve. The governor's appeal went straight to the state supreme court.
The Statesman Journal reports the court will hear the case on March 14 during its visit to the University of Oregon law school in Eugene.
Information from: Statesman Journal
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
If Kitz is so concerned about Haugen welfare why not let him join him on the gurney next to him in the chamber....just think two for the price of one.
Let the gov. take him home!
 @scooterpie Yes! The governor should wine and dine him, and tell him exactly why he decided to put the plug back in on pulling the plug in the first place. Â
It ought to be a no brainer for the SC! Start charging up ol sparky!
Governor: didnt you take an oath of office that included swearing to uphold the law? Not just the laws you agreed with? You are dishonest and have failed the voters of this State.
I hope Dr rerun gets his hind end handed to him on a silver platter on this one! This man needs recalled MO.. I'll gladly sign the petition!
I thought democRats were pro-choice? Â It's Haugen's body, doesn't he have the right to choose ?
We need a Haugen vs Kitzhaber cage match. Winner decides the outcome.
Obviously, people have every right to disagree the governor's policy.
Â
However, this overwhelming sentiment that he is doing something illegal is completely wrong. The voter approved capital punishment law gives the governor final authority on allowing an execution to ultimately be carried out. HIS REFUSAL TO ALLOW AN EXECUTION IS WELL WITHIN HIS POWERS UNDER THE LAW.
Â
Call on him to allow executions to go forward all you want, but you just make yourself look uneducated on the issue by saying that there is any recourse to punish him anyplace but the polls.
 @Vince009  Certainly it is. But the only reason he is doing it is because we the people expect and want him to uphold the law we voted in. Didn't stop him following through his first round, but he did say we where ungovernable when he left.. So its just a pissy way to get even with us. He should have never gotten voted back in to begin with.. and if folks ever get it together enough to oust him, I'll gladly sign the recall petition as will my family!
Hopefully, our moralistic governor will be paying for this appeals process out of his own pocket?
That's the problem. Gov Repeat has a blank check to spend our money.
The death penalty is legal,and this man wants to die. Shame on the governor. As far as I am concerned,his is breaking the law,and should not be Gov. anywhere,or any office where they are to uphold the laws!
There are 37 people on DR and one more maybe joining them ( Holt ). Why are the tax payers putting up with this and the 9 - 20 million dollars it cost to run the the DP program. Only 2 people have been put to death since 1978. Looks like there is some money they could use to pay for Schools and other things.
Maybe we could put Kitz on death row for breaking the laws of this state.
Our governor will not let the state carry out the sentence the courts handed down but yet he allows doctor assisted suicide, actually he's an advocate of it taking our law to other states to help them pass similar laws. So let's get this straight Governor, the innocent it's O.K. to kill but the guilty it's not. I guess you're smarter than the majority of Oregonians.
Dr assisted suicides are completely different.Â
I what way? The people are choosing to take their own live and that is what Gary Haugen is asking for. I understand that people who exercise their right to Doctor assisted suicide are suffering but doesnât someone who has a court order death sentence be allow to ask for it to be fulfilled? I don't feel they are that much different.
Don't forget abortions. He is all for them also.
I think he kills kitten just for fun.
I think there's more to this than just Gary Haugen's case. Â We need to decide at some level, whether or not our elected officials (in this case, the Governor) have the right to pick and choose which of our state laws and/or Constitutional provisions s/he wants to uphold... or IOW, just how much individual power do we want these officials to have to over-ride existing laws and/or our Constitution, because they don't like them or have some "moral objection" to them.
Â
I understand the Governor having the authority to review an appeal for clemency on a DP case, and to grant that commutation of sentence, if it is requested by the convicted person and if he believes it to be warranted. Â Â But this is not what Gov Kitzhaber has done; he has, instead, arbitrarily decided that any and all executions are to be stayed "as long as he holds the office of governor", based on his personal objection to the DP. Â Â
Â
Last time I checked, Oregon does not have the office of "State Dictator". Â If Gov Kitzhaber wanted to govern a state that has no death penalty, perhaps he should have run for office in a state that does not have it. Â Â
His brand of idealistic liberalism only works in receptive liberal Oregon. As a liberal, he gets to decide which laws are best for us regardless of how we vote or which laws are already in effect. He is in power to save us from ourselves! After all, he knows better! Ha!
Kitz - cut the halfway measures: If you want to issue a reprieve, commute his sentence to life without parole. That's your constitutional right - no court reviews, no ability to "decline", no more publicity for this puke. Grow a pair and get on with it.
Â
Otherwise, your effort is subject to other peoples review and modification, and you aren't in control of the process.
Â
It is just like heads up poker: Go All-In or fold.
What is the matter with "Special K" anyhow? The guy deserves to die, wants to die and the Oregon people want to let him die. Hey, "Special K", pull the corncob out and let him **DIE**!