Contract with America: on Crime
Fewer appeals; more prisons; victim restitution
Our "Contract with America" calls for tough punishment for those who prey on society. For too long, Washington has refused to get tough--and even when they sound tough, there are always loopholes that favor the criminal, not the victims.
Our "Contract" will make the death penalty real--no more endless appeals.
We will cut the "pork" in the recently passed crime bill in order to build real prisons, and we will require criminals to serve their sentences, not have them back on the street to terrorize again and again. And to make criminals more accountable,
we will force them to pay full restitution to their victims or the victims' families.
And to those who commit felonies with guns, let us be particularly clear: We will require 10 years in jail, minimum, no exceptions.
Source: Contract With America, by Newt Gingrich, p. 37
Dec 26, 1994
No more endless appeals; make death penalty credible
Our "Contract" will make the death penalty real--no more endless appeals. Under current law, there are virtually no limits or restrictions on when prisoners can file habeas corpus appeals. For example, defendants can appeal any time there is a change
in the law or a new Supreme Court ruling. Delays of up to 14 years are not uncommon, making abuse of the habeas corpus system the most significant factor in states' inability to implement credible death penalties.
Source: Contract With America, by Newt Gingrich, p. 37&44
Dec 26, 1994
Limit habeus corpus appeals; too many frivolous petitions
Under current law, there are virtually no limits or restrictions on when prisoners can file habeas corpus appeals. For example, defendants can appeal any time there is a change in the law or a new Supreme Court ruling. Current law favors the convicted
criminal. For example, the recently enacted crime legislation included a requirement that at least TWO lawyers be appointed to represent the defendant at every stage of the process.Originally designed as a remedy for imprisonment without trial, it is
now a tool for federal and state defendants who have been convicted and exhausted all direct appeals. Critics of the current habeas corpus process argue that
- most petitions are totally lacking in merit,
- thousands upon thousands of frivolous
petitions clog the federal district court dockets each year, and
- it allows prisoners on death row to almost indefinitely delay their punishment.
Source: Contract With America, by Newt Gingrich, p. 44
Dec 26, 1994
Page last updated: Oct 21, 2012