Wrong man executed in death penalty

[highnote]

How many innocent people would you be willing to let be executed before you think the death penalty should be banned?


http://news.yahoo.com/wrong-man-executed-texas-probe-says-051125159.html

He was the spitting image of the killer, had the same first name and was near the scene of the crime at the fateful hour: Carlos DeLuna paid the ultimate price and was executed in place of someone else in Texas in 1989, a report out Tuesday found.

Even "all the relatives of both Carloses mistook them," and DeLuna was sentenced to death and executed based only on eyewitness accounts despite a range of signs he was not a guilty man, said law professor James Liebman.

[cj's dad]

This is why I am opposed.

Check this out; happened right here in Md.

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/wrongfulconvictions/exonerations/mdbloodsworthsummary.html

[johnhannibalsmith]

How many innocent people would you be willing to let be executed before you think the death penalty should be banned?


http://news.yahoo.com/wrong-man-executed-texas-probe-says-051125159.html

I read this story not too long ago and while I don't take one source as gospel on something like this, based upon what was presented, killing the guy was just the icing on a big cake of injustice from the start of the investigation.

[JustRalph]

Witness testimony sucks! That's where i draw the line.

Dna, and i am for it. But not in its present form. Too slow

[TJDave]

Mistakes are made... It's part of life.

I like the death penalty. I don't like that it's unfairly applied. I'd actually favor it being extended to other crimes. Wall Street bankers and lying politicians heading the list.

[highnote]

Mistakes are made... It's part of life.

I like the death penalty. I don't like that it's unfairly applied. I'd actually favor it being extended to other crimes. Wall Street bankers and lying politicians heading the list.


OK. But how many innocent people being executed each year is acceptable to you?

[TJDave]

OK. But how many innocent people being executed each year is acceptable to you?

Zero, however I am comfortable in accepting the current number, whatever it may be, in order to preserve the penalty.

Let me ask you a question:

We could virtually eliminate the tens-of-thousands of traffic deaths annually by reducing roadway speed limits to 5 mph. Would you be in favor?

[Dave Schwartz]

I do not have strong feelings about it but have, in recent years, become increasingly in favor of abolishing the death penalty simply for fiscal reasons. Apparently it costs far more to execute someone (all things considered) than it does to house them for 50+ years.

The fact that the death penalty is also an "un-doable" penalty, is simply icing on the cake.

Personally, I would like stronger penalties for violent crimes of all types. In our ever more-crowded society, real violence just cannot be tolerated. I do not mean, "lose-your-temper-in-a-bar-fight-go-to-jail-for-life." Rather, I mean beat up an old lady to take her purse and go to jail until your too old to do it again.

Of course, our entire prison system needs reform as well.

[bigmack]

We could virtually eliminate the tens-of-thousands of traffic deaths annually by reducing roadway speed limits to 5 mph. Would you be in favor?
It's all well & good if you want to debate the issue but that hypothetical is from Pluto.

[Tom]

I would like to see the death penalty applied to more than just capital crimes.

You rape someone, you deserve to die.
You abuse your power as an elected official, you fry.

And those who we decide keep in cells, we make them pay for the room and board. You go to jail naked and earn everything you get. You bed, blanket, pillow, dinner.......you work 7 days a week and your earn enough credits to pay your way. What is your first choice? Clothing, dinner, a blanket, toilet paper?

You get NOTHING that you do not earn.

[highnote]

Zero, however I am comfortable in accepting the current number, whatever it may be, in order to preserve the penalty.

Let me ask you a question:

We could virtually eliminate the tens-of-thousands of traffic deaths annually by reducing roadway speed limits to 5 mph. Would you be in favor?

First, let's finish addressing my question then I will be happy to address your question.

You are incongruent when you say that zero wrongful death penalty executions are acceptable to you and then you turn around and say you will accept the current number in order to preserve the death penalty.

You can't say zero persons on the one hand and say one or more on the other. Either you feel an innocent being put to death is acceptable or not.

There are on average 34 executions per year in the U.S. 140 innocents have been released from death row since 1973. The Death Penalty Project lists 8 names of people executed but who are possibly innocent. There are numerous other examples. So if one person every five years is wrongly put to death is that acceptable?

It appears to me from what you write that you think it is acceptable to put innocent people to death in order to preserve the death penalty.

Since we can't know the true number of innocent people wrongly being put to death, the question is, how many innocent people do you feel is an acceptable number to die at the hands of the executioner, say, every five years? 1, 2, 20, 50 -- more?

[TJDave]

It's all well & good if you want to debate the issue but that hypothetical is from Pluto.

At least it's not from Kolob. :rolleyes:

http://nowscape.com/mormon/kolob-defined.htm

[TJDave]

It appears to me from what you write that you think it is acceptable to put innocent people to death in order to preserve the death penalty.


It is unfortunate but given the non-perfect nature of our justice system both necessary and acceptable, yes. I do believe that with time and advancements in forensic science the number of innocent will steadily decrease.

It is my hope that eventually only murderers will suffer this penalty...

ALL murderers.

[PhantomOnTour]

An old college buddy of mine who shared the same major as me went on to be a reporter for a paper in Louisiana.
One assignment he had was to go to an execution at Angola State Prison, act as a witness, and to do a story on it.
He went in as a death penalty advocate and came out with a different mindset. He was really affected by witnessing that, as anyone would presumably be. For the record, the man admitted his guilt so there was no question of him being innocent. Still, the state killing an innocent citizen is inexplicable, and i have no doubt it has happened many times.

I am against the death penalty except for the most extreme situations.
Like Timothy McVeigh and his cohorts.

[lsbets]

How many innocent people would you be willing to let be executed before you think the death penalty should be banned?


http://news.yahoo.com/wrong-man-executed-texas-probe-says-051125159.html

There are a lot of people who deserve to die, and in theory I am more than okay with the death penalty. But .........

When the state makes a mistake and takes an innocent man's life, there is no fixing that. Our system is imperfect and mistakes are made. It is bad enough when an innocent man spends years in jail and eventually gets freed. At least when he is freed there is a chance, however small it may be, that he gets his life back. That is not possible when an innocent man is executed. Based on the number of innocent people who have been jailed for 20+ years, I am comfortable saying that there have been more innocent people executed than we know of.

For that reason I am opposed to the death penalty. There is no fixing an error.

[Marshall Bennett]

This is why I am opposed.

Check this out; happened right here in Md.

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/wrongfulconvictions/exonerations/mdbloodsworthsummary.html
Unfortunately people are wrongly imprisoned as well, some for a very long time. Should we be opposed to imprisonment as well? While it doesn't involve the loss of life, most that spent their lives wrongly imprisoned would say they certainly lost theirs.
Execution sentences in some countries is extended beyond capital murder. I'd like to see the same here for some other crimes. Crimes against children comes to mind first. Treason another. Liberals don't truly believe in punishment of any kind however, and since they seem to be the law of the land these days, chances are slim & none of it ever happening.

[lsbets]

Unfortunately people are wrongly imprisoned as well, some for a very long time. Should we be opposed to imprisonment as well? While it doesn't involve the loss of life, most that spent their lives wrongly imprisoned would say they certainly lost theirs.


So the same guy who in another thread bemoans our countries declining morals is okay if a few innocent people get executed? :bang:

[maddog42]

This is why I am opposed.

Check this out; happened right here in Md.

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/wrongfulconvictions/exonerations/mdbloodsworthsummary.html
I am very impressed with the conservatives (or liberals)who do not toe the party line. It shows me they are thinking for themselves.

[Marshall Bennett]

So the same guy who in another thread bemoans our countries declining morals is okay if a few innocent people get executed? :bang:
Science has given us the ability to drastically reduce the chances of executing innocent people. Frankly, I don't see how you connect my previous contentions regarding this country's declining morals with my take on capital punishment.
You're obviously just trying to start shit. Go look elsewhere.

[lsbets]

Science has given us the ability to drastically reduce the chances of executing innocent people. Frankly, I don't see how you connect my previous contentions regarding this country's declining morals with my take on capital punishment.
You're obviously just trying to start shit. Go look elsewhere.

I'm pointing out that you think it is immoral for homosexuals to want to marry, but you are okay if a few innocent people happen to get executed by the state. So consenting adults doing something which does not affect you in any way shape or form is immoral, but the state killing an innocent man is okay.

Based on that, I think your morals are way out of whack. Really far out of whack.

[Native Texan III]

Science has given us the ability to drastically reduce the chances of executing innocent people. Frankly, I don't see how you connect my previous contentions regarding this country's declining morals with my take on capital punishment.
You're obviously just trying to start shit. Go look elsewhere.

Science can help but if the police fabricate evidence or get "evidence" from convicted felons for a reward of reduced sentence, or due to political pressure to get a conviction, any conviction, then someone on trial who cannot afford a decent lawyer never gets the chance for the evidence against to be tested, scientifically or not. You need to have money to fund the collection of "scientific" evidence for the defence. There are also many cases where the accused confesses due to interminable police interrogation pressures that he starts to believe he really did do the crime. A good defence lawyer can make sure that wrong does not result in an execution. It is still the case that having money gets many guilty people off entirely and convicts completely innocent poor people.

[Marshall Bennett]

I'm pointing out that you think it is immoral for homosexuals to want to marry, but you are okay if a few innocent people happen to get executed by the state. So consenting adults doing something which does not affect you in any way shape or form is immoral, but the state killing an innocent man is okay.

Based on that, I think your morals are way out of whack. Really far out of whack.
Show me where I said the state killing of an innocent man is okay. That's ridiculous. If my morals are way out of whack by thinking it's immoral for homosexuals to marry, so are most in this country because we're the majority in believing in that. Perhaps you should be questioning your own.

[lsbets]

Show me where I said the state killing of an innocent man is okay. That's ridiculous. If my morals are way out of whack by thinking it's immoral for homosexuals to marry, so are most in this country because we're the majority in believing in that. Perhaps you should be questioning your own.

"Unfortunately people are wrongly imprisoned as well, some for a very long time. Should we be opposed to imprisonment as well?"

While not outright saying you are okay with an innocent person being executed, that is certainly what that statement implies. If a few innocents die, oh well, shit happens.

You like a big government that tells people what to do in private and kills people in public.

That's not only immoral, it's ****ed up.

And if you don't like me responding to your posts, then you can either ignore me or stop posting stupid shit. But I'm not going to stop commenting when you make statements like your recent ones just because I might hurt your feelings.

[Marshall Bennett]

No Isbets, your feelings were hurt back with the gay issue. You've simply twisted my words around here out of anger.
So deal with it.

[Actor]

I do not have strong feelings about it but have, in recent years, become increasingly in favor of abolishing the death penalty simply for fiscal reasons. Apparently it costs far more to execute someone (all things considered) than it does to house them for 50+ years.About 20 years ago I made an effort to determine the length of the average life sentence. It's hard to find data but the figure I came up with was 35 years. The average death sentence was 12 years, which may be shorter now due to efforts to streamline the appeals process in death penalty cases.

[newtothegame]

If I may, good discussion and kudos to the OP for bringing the topic.
Man, I really have mixed feelings here as I would hate to see ANYONE die wrongfully by execution.
I agree with most here that as time progresses, advancements will greatly reduce that number. As to crooked cops, if they are found to be planting (especially in capital punishment cases) , then I think THEY should get the sentence as well.
I know our legal system is not perfect. But, I believe it to be one of the best in the world. With that being said, I would defer to the legal system to apply justice. If it happens to be death, then so be it.
I think the death penalty is a deterent to most who may think of committing those crimes which warrant the penalty. If the penalty is removed, then what deterent is there? And please don't say life of imprisonment. Hell, in some cases, that life is better then the one they are leaving behind on the streets.
So yeah, if our legal system and penalties are such, then I am ok with it.

[elysiantraveller]

I used to be in support of the death penalty but haven't been for some time. As far as I am concerned 1 innocent is enough to end the practice.

Also I no longer feel the penalty is a deterrent whatsoever... the process is far to removed from the general population to be an effective deterrent.

[newtothegame]

I used to be in support of the death penalty but haven't been for some time. As far as I am concerned 1 innocent is enough to end the practice.

Also I no longer feel the penalty is a deterrent whatsoever... the process is far to removed from the general population to be an effective deterrent.
Your statement has merit Elysian......
I just remember as a child being told about consequences of my actions.
And I can see the srgument for the "1 innocent". But what happens when the legal system lets out the guilty's due to things like over crowding etc etc and they go on to committ more and larger crimes? Isn't that almost the opposite argument?
People don't get rap sheets that are PAGES long because they are "innocent". But, I digress.
Again Good points......

[lsbets]

No Isbets, your feelings were hurt back with the gay issue. You've simply twisted my words around here out of anger.
So deal with it.

Feelings were hurt? Twisted your words?

No and no. Your words are right there for all to see and the meaning is pretty obvious.

You decry the declining morals in this country but can live with a few innocents being executed.

That's ****ed up. As I said, your morals appear to be way off.

One innocent executed by the state is too many. Our system is way to flawed to not make mistakes with the death penalty, and as I said, those are mistakes that cannot be fixed. Life ET, I used to be a big supporter of the death penalty, but looking at the way it is handled changed me to an opponent.

Let me give you the chance to clarify since you say I twisted your words:

Do you think it is okay for even one innocent man to be killed because the death penalty is an important part of our justice system?

If you are okay with it, at least have the decency to say so. That appears to be what you implied originally, but when called on it you were not willing to stand behind your statement. If you are not okay with it, then you should be opposed to the death penalty.

[Greyfox]

Apparently it costs far more to execute someone (all things considered) than it does to house them for 50+ years.

.

That is an interesting figure that I've never seen before.
My mind is still wrapping around it and I can't imagine why it would be so.
What's your source for that Dave?

In the meanwhile, I think in most instances the Death penalty is wrong.
However,

1. If you have absolute proof that someone committed a heinous despicable crime wherein another life was taken, then I'm for it. For example a person is seen raping and murdering an old lady or child and also confesses to the death would be more or less solid proof.

2. Secondly, I think that if you have absolute proof that someone murdered a police officer, that should warrant the Death penalty.

3. Thirdly, if you have absolute proof that someone has been a serial killer and will kill again if given a chance, that would warrant the Death penalty too.

I still can't imagine how the cost of bullets in a firing squad could equal cost of incarceration for 50 years.

[johnhannibalsmith]

I used to be in support of the death penalty but haven't been for some time. As far as I am concerned 1 innocent is enough to end the practice.

Also I no longer feel the penalty is a deterrent whatsoever... the process is far to removed from the general population to be an effective deterrent.

Pretty much the same here. I think people nowadays say "deterrent", but quietly mean "leverage". I have a hunch a lot of folks have been convicted on the witness testimony of accomplices that had the death penalty taken off the table in exchange for flipping to get another conviction or two.

[HUSKER55]

the death penaly is just that. the penalty for preaking the law. As was posted earlier, until we go back to hanging and make it public I don't see how the death penalty will ever deter crime.

[Tom]

3. Thirdly, if you have absolute proof that someone has been a serial killer and will kill again if given a chance, that would warrant the Death penalty too.

Obama?
The Deadly Drone Killer?

He is a serial mass murderer.
His biography will be aired on Criminal Minds next season.

Rossi gets into his head and goes mad.

[cj's dad]

That is an interesting figure that I've never seen before.
My mind is still wrapping around it and I can't imagine why it would be so.
What's your source for that Dave?

In the meanwhile, I think in most instances the Death penalty is wrong.
However,

1. If you have absolute proof that someone committed a heinous despicable crime wherein another life was taken, then I'm for it. For example a person is seen raping and murdering an old lady or child and also confesses to the death would be more or less solid proof.

2. Secondly, I think that if you have absolute proof that someone murdered a police officer, that should warrant the Death penalty.

3. Thirdly, if you have absolute proof that someone has been a serial killer and will kill again if given a chance, that would warrant the Death penalty too.

I still can't imagine how the cost of bullets in a firing squad could equal cost of incarceration for 50 years.



$25 - $26 K pper year

Link-good info:

http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/incarceration-2010-06.pdf

[Greyfox]

$25 - $26 K pper year

Link-good info:

http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/incarceration-2010-06.pdf

Those figures seem to vary from State to State.
For California it's $47,000 a year.

[Marshall Bennett]

You decry the declining morals in this country but can live with a few innocents being executed.

That's ****ed up. As I said, your morals appear to be way off.


You're obviously having a problem reading my post. I never implied that executing innocent people was okay. I stated that people serve long prison sentences that are innocent as well, therefore using this as an excuse to abolish the death penalty imo isn't justified. Doesn't at all mean I'm for killing innocent people...and you know that, you're simply being a prick.
Millions like myself support the death penalty. So all of our morals are in the gutter simply because we don't agree with you? Imo, that"s ****ed up.
I still maintain that your issue with me goes beyond this thread. You're only using this as a venue to vent your real anger with me. So spit it out, and quit making a fool out of yourself here with this thread. You're acting like a spoiled brat.

[Greyfox]

I've found several sites supporting Dave Schwartz contention re: the high financial cost of the death penalty.
Here's one: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty

Those are amazing figs.
They suggest to me that there is something seriously flawed with a Justice System that incurs these sky high costs.
Lawyers, and consultants get rich off the death penalty from what I can see.
Has Iran got it right? :rolleyes:

[lsbets]

You're obviously having a problem reading my post. I never implied that executing innocent people was okay. I stated that people serve long prison sentences that are innocent as well, therefore using this as an excuse to abolish the death penalty imo isn't justified. Doesn't at all mean I'm for killing innocent people...and you know that, you're simply being a prick.
Millions like myself support the death penalty. So all of our morals are in the gutter simply because we don't agree with you? Imo, that"s ****ed up.
I still maintain that your issue with me goes beyond this thread. You're only using this as a venue to vent your real anger with me. So spit it out, and quit making a fool out of yourself here with this thread. You're acting like a spoiled brat.

Let me follow your logic here.

You are not okay with innocent people getting executed.

But the fact that innocent people get executed is not a reason to abolish the death penalty.

So you want to continue with the death penalty even if innocent people sometimes get executed.

Hate to tell you this Marshall, that means you're okay with a few innocent people being executed.

Just be a man and say it.

What anger do you think I have with you? I point out your lack of logic in thinking through this issue and its inconsistency regarding your statement about declining morals, and you think its based on some sort of anger? Its based on the fact that you make yourself sound like a fool.

And I love your millions of people agree with me so I must be right attitude. Its a good thing that throughout history we had people willing to stand up for what is right against the majority opinion. The world is a much better place because of it. The majority, like you, is often too cowardly to do the right thing.

You've got issues Marshall. Go see a shrink.

[cj's dad]

Innocent people are incarcerated frequently. If at some point, they are proven to have not committed the crime they are released. The State then ponies up many $$$ depending on the length of their stay. It makes life a bit easier or much easier depending on circumstance.

The wrongly executed inmate has no such luck; he is dead.

[lsbets]

Innocent people are incarcerated frequently. If at some point, they are proven to have not committed the crime they are released. The State then ponies up many $$$ depending on the length of their stay. It makes life a bit easier or much easier depending on circumstance.

The wrongly executed inmate has no such luck; he is dead.

Exactly what I said. There is no way to even attempt to right the wrong when it comes to the death penalty.

[Marshall Bennett]

Return to post #36 and read it again. Keep reading it till it sinks in your thick skull.
You need the shrink, you won't let it go. Well, I'm done with you as far as this issue goes. You're acting like a child that refuses to understand. Take your anger and beat the rug somewhere else. I have enough respect for the other members here to end this. Enjoy yourself. :)

[lsbets]

Return to post #36 and read it again. Keep reading it till it sinks in your thick skull.
You need the shrink, you won't let it go. Well, I'm done with you as far as this issue goes. You're acting like a child that refuses to understand. Take your anger and beat the rug somewhere else. I have enough respect for the other members here to end this. Enjoy yourself. :)

This was in response to your post #36. Reread it and then call a shrink. You need help:

Let me follow your logic here.

You are not okay with innocent people getting executed.

But the fact that innocent people get executed is not a reason to abolish the death penalty.

So you want to continue with the death penalty even if innocent people sometimes get executed.

Hate to tell you this Marshall, that means you're okay with a few innocent people being executed.

Just be a man and say it.

[Greyfox]

Exactly what I said. There is no way to even attempt to right the wrong when it comes to the death penalty.


There is no wrong to right if you absolutely know someone committed an horrific murder or murders.
For example, if a serial killer leads you to the graves of several victims, confesses and there is also DNA evidence on other items.
You know that he/she did the killings.
To wait 50 years until he dies of natural causes is a crime against his victims and their families.

[thaskalos]

The death penalty laws need to be amended...

When an innocent man is executed because of prosecutorial misconduct or negligence...then the entire prosecuting team should be executed as well...

It's only fair...

[lsbets]

There is no wrong to right if you absolutely know someone committed an horrific murder or murders.
For example, if a serial killer leads you to the graves of several victims, confesses and there is also DNA evidence on other items.
You know that he/she did the killings.
To wait 50 years until he dies of natural causes is a crime against his victims and their families.

I said in theory I am in favor of the death penalty. However, the number of times we know with 100% certainty that the accused is guilty is not 100%. You've been here a while, you know I have no problem seeing deserving people die. But I have major problems when our justice system kills innocent people. Especially when too many people are not capable of mounting an adequate defense.

If there were a way to get it where we only executed people under certain well defined parameters that ensured no mistakes were made, I would be in favor of it. But I don't see how that would be possible.

[Greyfox]

The death penalty laws need to be amended...

When an innocent man is executed because of prosecutorial misconduct or negligence...then the entire prosecuting team should be executed as well...

It's only fair...

If an innocent man is imprisoned, should the prosecuting team be imprisoned as only fair?

[thaskalos]

If an innocent man is imprisoned, should the prosecuting team be imprisoned as only fair?

Definitely!

Defense attorneys get all the bad publicity...but some of the prosecutors are even more morally and ethically corrupt.

When a prosecutor falsely prosecutes a man...causing him to end up in jail, or worse...then this prosecutor deserves the same fate.

[Greyfox]

Definitely!


When a prosecutor falsely prosecutes a man...causing him to end up in jail, or worse...then this prosecutor deserves the same fate.

You've added a qualifier there.
I'm not talking about a prosecutor falsely prosecuting a man.
I'm asking would you insist that a prosecution team should go to jail if a prisoner that they have honestly prosecuted is found later to be innocent?

[thaskalos]

You've added a qualifier there.
I'm not talking about a prosecutor falsely prosecuting a man.
I'm asking would you insist that a prosecution team should go to jail if a prisoner that they have honestly prosecuted is found later to be innocent?

You are being unfair here...

In my original post here (#44) I specifically mentioned "prosecutorial misconduct or negligence"...

[Greyfox]

Okay. If prosecutorial misconduct can be demonstrated I'd agree.
Unfortunately the poor bloke that is imprisoned likely can't afford to prosecute and the State likely won't. You have a point.

But what if the Death Penalty is imposed on someone and they aren't even given a trial?
At the moment I'm thinking of bin Laden.
I wonder how many in this thread who've claimed to be against the death penalty here didn't mind bin Laden being shot?

[thaskalos]

We are all human...so it is normal for us to "want" the death penalty, when we are talking about the "monsters" of society.

The idea of a Richard Speck or a Charles Manson, sitting in jail and laughing at us, is deeply troubling...and we ask for the ultimate punishment for these rejects of society.

But then we hear about INNOCENT men being put to death...and we wonder how mistakes of this magnitute can be made -- when life and death hang in the balance.

If we can't stop the executions of innocent men...then we have no business executing anyone.

[Greyfox]

If we can't stop the execution of innocent men...then we have no business executing anyone.

If we absolutely know someone is guilty of a heinous premeditated murder, the killing of a police officer, or serial killing, then the Death Penalty should be in play.
We have all the business in the world executing those types.
Thask you and I will just have to agree to disagree on that.

[thaskalos]

If we absolutely know someone is guilty of a heinous premeditated murder, the killing of a police officer, or serial killing, then the Death Penalty should be in play.
We have all the business in the world executing those types.
Thask you and I will just have to agree to disagree on that.
Yeah...I would agree with you too, Greyfox...if there was some way to REALLY be sure that we only killed the people who really deserved to die...

But there currently is no way to be sure of this...and so, we are always going to have overzealous prosecutors, who will be seeking quick resolutions to complicated crimes...especially in high-profile cases.

And this will lead to more executions of innocent men...which is shameful in a "civilized" society...

[Marshall Bennett]

It would be awfully tough to lay the entire blame on a procecuting team. For instance, a chain of evidence in a given case ends in the courtroom. How often has it been proven later that flaws existed beyond the control of the procecution. Juries ultimately decide the fate of the accused. Do you string them up as well? Our justice system is indeed bound by the laws of the land. The players for the large part are paid emplyees. Remove them if they've been proven unworthy, but I don't see how you can hang them.

[thaskalos]

It would be awfully tough to lay the entire blame on a procecuting team. For instance, a chain of evidence in a given case ends in the courtroom. How often has it been proven later that flaws existed beyond the control of the procecution. Juries ultimately decide the fate of the accused. Do you string them up as well? Our justice system is indeed bound by the laws of the land. The players for the large part are paid emplyees. Remove them if they've been proven unworthy, but I don't see how you can hang them.

I specifically talked about prosecutorial misconduct.

If a prosecutor misrepresented or suppressed certain facts...and an innocent man was executed as a result...then what do you do to this prosecutor?

Take away his licence to practice law?

Let's get real here...

We either have "justice"...or we don't.

[Marshall Bennett]

If a prosecutor misrepresented or suppressed certain facts...and an innocent man was executed as a result...then what do you do to this prosecutor?

Considering that years often lapse between a trial and an execution, wouldn't the procecutors guilt have surfaced before the execution took place? This is all hypothetical of course. I've never heard of such a case.

[ElKabong]

Considering that years often lapse between a trial and an execution, wouldn't the procecutors guilt have surfaced before the execution took place? This is all hypothetical of course. I've never heard of such a case.

The death penalty is in place in the state where we live. I can handle that. I'm comfortable with it, as well as the system in place.

Others with a different opinion-, let them go to Austin (or Oke City etc) and debate with folks that can exact change. The majority here are in favor of lethal injection (for a lot of reasons). It's not going away.

Thank goodness.

[ElKabong]

How many innocent people would you be willing to let be executed before you think the death penalty should be banned?


http://news.yahoo.com/wrong-man-executed-texas-probe-says-051125159.html

There won't be an answer that would satisfy any anti death penalty individual, so I won't go there. To me, the issue is more to the point of justice being dealt to those who commit awful crimes & how the victim's families are in need of "justice" for the criminal.

About 18-24 months ago I was pulled in for Jury Duty process for a death penalty case. 300 + people including me were in the Crowley bldg hearing the DA say they were asking for the death penalty for the guy sitting silently on the elevated platform (handcuffs were on, couldn't be seen). The guy was a black fellow appeared to be "the normal guy" & never showed emotion or moved a muscle. Looked as innocent as could be.

The DA read off a sheet that the guy in cuffs was accused of murdering 2 individuals, he named them by name- both female names....we all had to fill out 12+ page questionaires on our beliefs about crime, punishment, etc

We were instructed not to search for info on this individual, any crime associated with him, nor talk to anyone that did do so.

Wweeks later, I get called in as a potential juror, take the oath and stand. Long story short, I was asked if I would think of a defendant differently if he had killed a woman. I said I would b/c women don't pose a threat to me. Only exception being if the woman had a weapon drawn on me, and I knew she would use it......Then the bombshell....The prosecution asked if I would think of the defendant differently if the victim was a minor, a kid that was of grade school age.

That hit me hard....This guy - defendant - is accused of killing a kid. My answer didn't please the lawyers, I said "only if a weapon were drawn on me" an even then it would be extremely hard to kill a kid in a domestic situation, if that was the situation.

I was excused, told I wasn't going to be a juror...I go back to work, google the defendant (gary green, dallas murder) and the normal looking guy sitting there motionless, brutally killed his girlfrield and her daughter...Then picked up the woman's sons, showed the boys the dead bodies.

The boys lived, testified Green was the murderer.

So yes, I'm in favor of the death penalty. All day, every day. People can go on and on about the opposite, they can have at it. I could care less what they say. Justice has to be served & the family of the victims are entitled to see people like Gray Green die

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20101026-13-year-old-says-murder-defendant-4855.ece

Two brothers tearfully recounted for a Dallas County jury Tuesday how their stepfather forced them to look at the dead bodies of their slain mother and little sister.

The boys' emotional testimony came in the capital murder trial of Gary Green, 39, where they also told jurors that they persuaded their mother's husband not to kill them, too. Green is accused of killing Lovetta Armstead and her 6-year-old daughter, Jazzmen Montgomery, at their south Oak Cliff home in September 2009.

As they see their mother lying on the floor, "we just fall on our knees and start crying," the older boy, now 13, told jurors.

Armstead was killed shortly after informing Green that she wanted to annul their marriage just months after the wedding, according to police. Green had moved out, but he persuaded Armstead to let him spend the day at the house.

If convicted, Green would face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

The attack on Armstead was so violent, said prosecutors Andy Beach, Heath Harris, Josh Healy and Jennifer Bennett, that one knife broke and Green grabbed another.
Armstead also grabbed a knife and stabbed Green twice behind his shoulder.
But her stab wounds were too much and she died "a slow, painful, agonizing death," Beach said.

Green then grabbed the girl and drowned her in the bathtub, prosecutors said. He would later tell police that "it was so bad, I had to turn away."
He showered in the same tub and went to pick his stepsons up from church. When they got home, he held the brothers at knifepoint and stabbed the youngest one in the abdomen.