A Man May Have Been Given The Death Sentence Because He Was Gay
In 1992, Charles Rhines stabbed a man to death. After he confessed to the murder he was sentenced to death.
But there is evidence indicating that he was not given the death sentence only because of his crime but also for the fact of being homosexual.
‘Vox’ reports that “during Rhines’s trial, while jurors were deliberating whether to give Rhines a life sentence or death, the jury sent the judge several questions that seemed designed to probe whether Rhines would have the opportunity to have sex with men while he was incarcerated. According to Rhines’s lawyers, the jurors asked “whether his jailers would allow him to ‘mix with the general inmate population,’ ‘create a group of followers or admirers,’ ‘discuss, describe or brag about his crime to other inmates, especially new and or young men jailed for lesser crimes ...’ ‘marry or have conjugal visits,’ or ‘be jailed alone or .... have a cellmate.’”
It continues, “after the trial, several members of the jury came forward and admitted that Rhines’s sexual orientation played a significant role in their deliberations. One said that the jury knew that “he was a homosexual and thought that he shouldn’t be able to spend his life with men in prison.” Another recalled a fellow juror’s statement that “if he’s gay, we’d be sending him where he wants to go if we voted for” life imprisonment. A third juror recalled “lots of discussion of homosexuality. There was a lot of disgust.”
Read related myGwork articles here:
Uganda Plans To Impose The Death Penalty On Homosexuals
“Death to Gays” Preacher Banned from Australia
UK Foreign Minister Told That Gay Death Sentences in Brunei Are Unlikely to be Enforced
Brunei Prime Minister Defends Gay Death Penalty
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