Chief Executioner

Chief Executioner

Occupation and position of the United Stars Justice Department - Corrections-

History of Executions and Corporal punishment in the Union
The question and practice of Capital Punishment and the Death penalty is a subject that is discussed with regularity at the Assembly of Pluribus. Not a year goes by when someone raises the subject and argues that this is not how an advanced society like the Union deals with crime.

However in the 3000 years of Assembly History the subject has only reached the necessary five percent of votes only sixteen times in order to be put forward for a Union wide decision process. (Not even during the Peace Hawk Period was it tried successfully)

In 2239 it was decided with a huge majority of votes to punish certain crimes with the death penalty. In 3432 it again came to a Union wide decision process and 87 percent of all Union Citizens voted for the use of execution methods fitting to the crime. The previous method of putting the delinquent asleep and then terminate all neural functions permanently was rejected and older much cruder methods were favored. Ever since hanging, decapitation, spacing, nuclear disintegration and Zero Energy exposure and several other race specific forms are the officially accepted and practiced methods of execution. The last form was added by specific request of the Non-Corps, as neither of the other methods would kill a Non Corp.

The latest Union wide discussion of Capital Punishment did not lead to the abolishment of this practice instead a Campaign started by Elo Darna (A Saresii widow losing her husband and kids to a Pirate attack) gained tremendous ground and the Union Citizen demanded and finally voted on making Executions public. 89% of all Union Citizens voted in favor.

Ever since executions are held in public places and have become public spectacles. (Minors and children are barred from these events) There is even a popular GalNet show called “Death by Law” and it is among the twenty most watched GalNet shows.

Some call it a sad testament to the state of the civilization but the practice has even gained more support.

Selection Process
Neither the Chief nor the Assistant executioner positions are officially advertised. Volunteers who pass Psych evaluations and have no other disqualifications are considered and after further evaluation are sent to Law School for 3 years and then go to the Union Department of Corrections School for Federal Executioners for an additional year.

After that they become Assistant Executioners and are assigned to an Executioners Pool. From there they are assigned to a Chief Executioner. After serving 10 years as an Assistant, and when positions are available they are promoted to Chief Executioner. Sometimes members of the Justice Department who were psych evaluated and deemed able to do the grim task are picked to become Assistant Executioners in a random process.

Duties
Once a Jury has given a death sentence, those are carried out by Federal Executioners. By law Executions must be performed by a Chief Executioner and an Assistant Executioner. By Union law a death sentence has to be executed within 1 month or it has to be commuted into a life sentence.

The Chief Executioner is responsible for the following:
 * On the day prior to the executions:
 * Inspect the gallows or execution machines
 * Talk to the prisoners, making sure they are aware what will happen and that they have their last wishes taken care off.
 * Go over the court files and verify that everything is in order.
 * On the day of the executions:
 * Place the noose over the condemned in case the execution is with a gallows or place them into the execution machine after a hood is placed over their head by the Assistant Executioner.
 * After either a Chief Justice or the judge in the case makes a final speech, activate the execution machine.
 * When the condemned are all deceased, their bodies released into coffins prepared for that purpose.
 * Finish up the final paperwork and prepare for the next assignment.

Usually a team of Chief Executioner and Assistant Executioner travel from Union court to Union Court to perform the sentences. The team is randomly selected from the Executioners Pool.

The executioner uniform consists of a red robe and hood (adjusted to the shape of the being) and once worn there is no outer difference that differentiates between Chief, Assistant or Deputy Executioner.