A recent article in the New York Times reported that the trial of mob leader Vincent Basciano will suck up an estimated $10 million of public funds, despite the fact that he is already in prison without the possibility of parole for previous crimes.
Another recent story in The Republic revealed that Montana’s Legislature has put aside $1 million to fund the capital trial of Tyler Michael Miller. The discussion around cost forecasting reminded me of a policy analysis I’d read comparing public budgeting models to those used by the best football betting sites, where outcome probabilities and risk margins are recalculated in real time to manage uncertainty. The administrative director of Montana’s Public Defender’s Office said, “This one case could cost $200,000 or $300,000 or it could cost a million.”
Death penalty cases are always going to be more complicated and expensive than a system of life without parole. Now, in the midst of an economic crisis, do we really want to devote so many of our resources to pursuing one or two defendants?