Coming soon to DVD ‘At the Death House Door’
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/dvd-reviews/-death-house-door-dvd-review

At the Death House Door creates a stunning portrait of Carroll Pickett, who presided as the chaplain over 95 executions â?? as well as provides compelling fuel against the death penalty.

contd

8) Pickett: speaks of how sincere hostage taker, murderer Ignacio Cuevas was. Rev. Pickett states that “between 11 and midnight (I) believe almost everything” the inmates say, because they are about to be executed. (1)

Reply: Bad judgement. Minutes later, Cuevas lied when on the gurney, stating that he was innocent.  This goes to show how Rev. Pickett and many others are easily fooled by these murderers. Pickett concedes the point.

9) Pickett:  “In my opinion and in the opinion of the convicts, life in prison, with no hope of parole, is a much worse punishment (than the death penalty).” “Most of these people (death row inmates) fear life in prison more than they do the possibility of execution.” (5)

REPLY: More fact problems. We know that isn’t the opinion of those facing a possible death sentence of those residing on death row.  This gives more support to my suspicion that Rev. Pickett is putting words into the inmates’ mouths.

Facts: What percentage of capital murderers seek a plea bargain to a death sentence, rather than seeking a life sentence? Zero or close to it. They prefer long term imprisonment. What percentage of convicted capital murderers argue for execution in the penalty phase of their capital trial? Zero or close to it. They prefer long term imprisonment.  What percentage of death row inmates waive their appeals and speed up the execution process? Nearly zero (less than 2%). They prefer long term imprisonment. This is not, even remotely, in dispute. How could Rev. Pickett not be aware of this? How long was he ministering to Texas’ death row? 13 years? So, what? Did he just make this up?

10) Pickett: stated that “doctors can’t (check the veins of inmates pending execution), it’s against the law.” (1)

Reply: Ridiculous. Obviously untrue.

contd

contd

5) Pickett: “A great majority of them (the 95 executed inmates he ministered to) were black or Hispanic.” (1)

Reply: The reverend’s point, here, appears to emphasize the alleged racist nature of the death penalty. There is a problem for the reverend- the facts - the “great majority” were 47 white (49%) with 32 black (34%), and 16 Hispanic (17%). 

6) Pickett: “Out of the 95 we executed only one that had a college degree.  All the rest of them their education was 9th grade and under.” (1)

Reply: Not even close. Rev. Pickett’s point, here, seems to be that capital murderers are, almost all, idiots who can’t be held responsible for their actions. But, there are more fact problems for the reverend. In a review of only 31 of the 95 cases, 5 had some college or post graduate classes and 16 were high school graduates or completed their GED. Partial review (Incomplete Count) , below.

Would Rev. Pickett tell us about the educational achievements of all the true innocent murder victims and those that weren’t old enough for school?

2) Pickett: believes that, no way, could someone, so afraid of lightning and thunder, such as Carlos De Luna, use a knife (in a crime). (1)

Reply: Is the reverend not aware of DeLuna’s record?  In 1980, “De Luna was charged with attempted aggravated rape and driving a stolen vehicle, he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 2 to 3 years. Paroled in May 1982, De Luna returned to Corpus Christi. Not long after, he attended a party for a former cellmate and was accused of attacking the cellmate’s 53-year-old mother. She told police that De Luna broke three of her ribs with one punch, removed her underwear, pulled down his pants, then suddenly left. He was never prosecuted for the attack, but authorities sent him back to prison on a parole violation. Released again in December of that year, he came back to Corpus Christi and got a job as a concrete worker.  Almost immediately, he was arrested for public intoxication. During the arrest, De Luna allegedly laughed about the wounding of a police officer months earlier and said the officer should have been killed.  Two weeks after that arrest, Lopez was murdered.” (Chicago Tribune) Being a long time criminal, we can presume that there were numerous additional crimes committed by De Luna and which remained unsolved.

Was De Luna capable of committing a robbery murder, even though he had big brown eyes and was scared of lightning? Of course.

contd