Is New York one of the states in the USA which still has the death penalty?

[Sandy-Wroe]

Will the five prisoners being transferred from Cuba for trial in New York face the death penalty if convicted of terrorist offences?

[Gromit]

In 2004, the New York Supreme Court ruled that the existing death penalty procedures violated the New York Constitution. The New York legislature has made no effort to change the procedures, effectively eliminating the death penalty in the state.

There have been no executions since, and there are no prisoners on death row in NY.

[Sandy-Wroe]

Good! 'An eye for an eye' is a barbaric philosophy.

[Pigletion]

This outlines it well http://en.wikipedia.o..._in_the_United_States (obviously delve further if you're really interested).

I was just reading about this in the NY Times online. Bush wanted them tried in military court with accompanying death penalty, but Obama froze those proceedings and they will now have a civillian trial in NY.

[jake-the-peg]

Makes you wonder if it's an accident picking NY

Executing them would inflame tensions across the Middle East - easy thing to blow into a propaganda war

[Ankou]

lol zeuhl !!

[Gromit]

Pigletion

The death penalty is a lot less likely in a Military Court than a Civil one. There are a lot more chances to appeal, and the President has to sign the order. One one has been executed for over 50 years from a Military Court.

[jake-the-peg]

That's because military courts tend to try people in their own armed services.

Not people who have been abducted from another country.

No normal court would try a case like these. It would be thrown out on more technicalities than you can shake a stick at

- it's make-it-up-as-you-go-along time

[daffy654]

Just read on the BBC website that the prosecution in this case will be seeking the death penalty if the suspects are found guilty:

http://news.bbc.co.uk.../americas/8360018.stm

[Pigletion]

OK Gromit, I was just quoting verbatim (hence where I said I got it from). I was not stating an opinion or anything...