Florida prosecutors seeking death penalty in school shooting

[metalbot]

12. I'm not sure what you are arguing for on tax payer money

It will cost vastly more tax payer money to execute him than to put him in prison for the rest of his life. His prison costs will be roughly $1.8M if he lives a bit beyond the expected average and has an average upkeep.

The cost of a death penalty trial, with a good death penalty defense team, and all of the expert witnesses who will be necessary on both sides, plus the cost of the appeal, plus the cost of any retrial should an appeal on any technicality be found to be with merit, plus the next appeal. Not only that, but there's the opportunity cost associated with a prosecutors office that will be spending their time preparing for a death penalty case (and fighting subsequent appeals) instead of focusing on other cases that will have an actual impact on currently living humans.