CL Gammon

Ultimate Penalty II CL Gammon

This book follows the Sedley Alley case from the night he murdered Suzanne Collins until his execution by lethal injection at Nashville, Tennessee's Riverbend Prison more than twenty years later. This book presents highlights of Alley's mammoth court file of more than 50 volumes. It also references many media reports and almost 400 court opinions. The books takes a realistic look at the many defenses Alley adopted - from insanity to innocence - in the twenty-plus years he battled to avoid execution. It also deals bluntly with Tennessee's current judicial system. However, this book is about more than just a criminal case and the execution of a murderer. It delves into the human factors involved in the Alley affair. It provides a brief account of the short live lived by Suzanne Collins and it relates how her senseless murder deprived her - and humanity - of the many gifts she had to offer. The book also looks at the toll the Alley case took on the family of Suzanne Collins. It details the efforts her family made to obtain justice for their daughter. It also considers the effect Alley's stubborn refusal to accept responsibility for his crimes had on his own family. Another topic considered in this book is the continuing bitter struggle death penalty advocates and opponents are waging in the Volunteer State. This battle is important, because not only does it shape the public debate over capital punishment, it also bleeds over into courtrooms and affects court decisions. What the book does not do - or attempt to do - is to tell the reader what to think about capital punishment. This book is fair, balanced, and impartial when it comes to the debate over whether or not a state is justified in putting its citizens to death. It allows the reader to form opinions independently without prodding from a biased source.