On Tuesday, Brian Dugan pleaded guilty to the murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico of Naperville in 1983. Dugan would have pleaded guilty years ago except that he wanted to avoid the death penalty, which State's Attorney Joe Birkett insisted on seeking. With this guilty plea, Dugan requested a jury to determine if he should face the death penalty or life in prison, which he is already serving for two other murders.
A life sentence on top of existing life sentences wouldn't really add punishment for Dugan, but Illinois has suspended the death penalty and may never reinstate it. So was it worth it for Birkett to hold out this long seeking a punishment that may never be administered? Do you think Dugan deserves a death sentence?
