83% Death Penalty Support in Connecticut since 2000
Dudley Sharp

83% represents the true death penalty support in the current Quinnipiac (Q) poll (1), just as since 2000.

The 73% plus 10% as: “Offered three choices”: (1) “73 percent say the death penalty depends on the circumstances of each case.”, which, of course, it does; (2) “10 percent favor the death penalty for all people convicted of murder”, which would include all death penalty eligible murders; and (3) “16 percent say no one should be executed”.

83% for – 16% against — The death penalty is supported by a 5:1 margin.

Under paragraph 43, in the recently released poll, we find, under TREND, that the average is 83% death penalty support, 16% in opposition, a 5:1 ratio of support to opposition, for the five polls since 2000, with all polls consistently showing those numbers – starting long before the Petit murders.

This is also consistent with another Q poll: ” . . 85 percent of voters said Ross should be allowed to die without further appeal. Only 9 percent said the appeal process should continue over his objection.” – a ratio of 9:1, support to opposition (2).

All of which are consistent with nationwide polls showing 80% support for true capital murderers, with about 16% opposed, a 5:1 margin of support (3).

When given the choice between the death penalty and life without parole, 48% prefer death, 43% life.

The question for this poll is “Which punishment do you prefer for people convicted of murder, the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole?” Again, this is for murder, as opposed to capital murders, the only ones subject to execution.

What this shows is that given the option, respondents prefer execution over a life sentence. It suggests that a poll asking “Should juries have the option of selecting either the death penalty or a life sentence in our worst murder cases?”, that the response may show support as high as 91% (43% plus 48%) that both sanctions should be retained for the worst murderers, but likely not higher than 83%, which is the average death penalty support for the five polls dating back to 2000.

To be clear, the 48% death penalty preference is no indicator of opposition to a life sentence and the 43% life preference is no indicator of opposition to the death penalty.

It’s just like a poll finding that 58% of folks prefer chocolate ice cream and 42% prefer vanilla, but 100% like them both and want both to be available.

(1) “March 10, 2011 – Death Penalty Support At New High In Connecticut, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters High On Medical Marijuana, Sunday Liquor Sales ”
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID=1566

(2) “Poll Finds Support For Execution”, Hartford Courant, 1/13/05

(3) “Death Penalty Support Remains Very High: USA & The World”
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-polls-support-remains.html