Criminal Prosecution

Whitney Cervantez

Criminal Prosecution Paper

CJS 251

Steven Duskie

Criminal Prosecution Paper

Ted Bundy’s murders, burglaries and highly skilled deception came to an endBefore that decision was made Ted Bundy’s facts are his crimes were solved with the help of evidence. Ted Bundy is an example of why we can not rely solely on using benefit of a doubt. Ted Bundy was concerned for losing his life. In Florida for t he murders of students Margaret Elizabeth Bowman and Lisa Levy, they were asleep in their Florida State University Sorority House. Margaret Bowman was bludgeoned to death with a piece of firewood. Ted Bundy proceeded to the room of Lisa Levy she was strangled, tore one of her nipples off, deeply bit into her left buttock and raped her with a bottle of hairspray. Ted Bundy went on to attack more women afterwards and though they survived they suffered trauma. The bite mark is what separated this trial from his previous trials in Colorado and Utah. Prosecutors were able to compare and identify the teeth marks. The purpose of this Grand Jury was to work together and finally stop the charade and games Ted Bund was playing.

After Ted’s first appearance with the judge and the evidence was brought forth the day he was to come back into court he had jammed his cell lock with wet toilet paper. When the judge asked what happened he had to remind Ted that the court does not go on his time. Florida’s rule for jurors is only 7 juror can put you to death. According to the Marshall Project “Prosecution have also contended that requiring a less than unanimous jury might have spared serial killers like Ted Bundy from execution Bundy’s jury was split 10-2.” (para 8) Bundy’s death penalty in Forida was for Margaret and Lisa. The jury decided that for each victim, deserved two death penalties. Later on in 1980 Ted Bundy went to trial for the 1978 killing of Kimberly Diane Leech. Kimberly was abducted, raped and killed; her body was found in an abandoned hog shed. Kimberly also received justice and planted another death sentence. According to Oxygen “Blood was found in the white van that Bundy was driving, and had the same blood type as Leach. Fibers were also found in the van that Dekle said belonged to Leach’s clothing.” (para 13)

Guilty and Reasonable Doubt

What are the elements of that crime? With Ted Bundy the element of the crime stems not just from the murders but he went out of his way to be his own defending attorney to lie for himself in the court of law in front of the jury despite the burglaries and crimes he caused. The man literally thought just because he was well spoken, calm, collected and happened to know how to work a room he would get out on reasonable doubt. Is there sufficient evidence to believe the defendant guilty of this crime beyond a reasonable doubt? I do not believe the defendant Ted Bundy was innocent and could walk out being charged innocent upon reasonable doubt. Ted Bundy took his time to flee states, took the time to coerce victims to trust him only for him to lure them to their demise. Maybe if at the beginning and he had left no evidence behind then yes he would have had a chance to be free from reasonable doubt but the character of the man; naturally he could not quit who he was.

Sentencing

What were the factors in sentencing? Ted Bundy was guilty for murders, rape, burglaries, breaking out of his cell, fleeing the state. What sentencing goals were met with the sentence? The death penalty was decided on three counts of murder that evidence could prove.

Impact of Death Row

Does the amount of time a prisoner spends in death row impact how effective it is? I believe that it can effect many things. Starting with cost and taxes that society is paying to keep the inmate in the prison alive, taken care of before he meets his fate is a means of juicing money from the victim instead of just getting rid of them in a pragmatic and timely manner. The longer the inmate is in prison that person has the ability to coerce the guards, other inmates, try to escape, kill inmates in the prison. Money should not be the reason we are keeping these crimiinals facing death row alive. Ted Bundy is proof enough that he would do his crimes again and perfect the art of murder by getting better at leaving no evidence. On the inside he would have had time to gather more information from other criminals on how to get away with it better.

Should the death penalty be abolished?

No the death penalty should not be abolished. I am not religious by any theist ideas so I do not believe we are playing God when we decide to take the life of someone who has committed murder. Someone who has the nerve, audacity the boldness to murder people should be dealt with. In today’s world 2019 Ted Bundy should receive the death penalty now just as he did on January 24th, 1989. If we didn’t have a death penalty then more crime would happen because anyone would rather sit in prison than to die. It was apparent Ted Bundy didn’t want to die, he loved life and clearly his victims loved life to but he took it upon himself to kill them for his own enjoyment leaving behind fear in the victims family, fear in society and even placed doubt within his own parents thinking he was innocent.

References

Tron, G. (2019). Why Did Authorities Try Ted Bundy For The Death Of Kimberly Leach When He Had Already Received The Death Penalty?. Retrieved from https://www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/why-did-ted-bundy-get-the-death-sentence-three-times

Chammah, M. (2016). In Florida, Only Seven Jurors Can Put You to Death. Retrieved from https://www.themarshallproject.org/2016/01/13/in-florida-only-seven-jurors-can-put-you-to-death

Wynne, K (2019) When Did Ted Bundy Die? Everything We Know About the Serial Killer’s Last Moments. Retrieved from https://www.newsweek.com/when-did-ted-bundy-die-everything-you-need-know-about-serial-killers-last-1414833