Death Penalty Reform
The death penalty makes me nervous. It makes me nervous because there is always a chance the wrong person is being executed. For example, after reading the Devil's Knot, I still think the West Memphis 3 are guilty, but I'm not so sure that I would be for execution - as there will always be an uncomfortable lingering doubt in that case.
Maryland has a great proposal. Before a prosecutor can seek the death penalty - there must be DNA or biological evidence, a video tape of the crime, or a video tape of the confession. Something more than a shakey confession under hi-pressure seems only fair. Why not video tape confessions - it would protect the defendant as well as the police from allegations of unfair tactics. We know that even eye-witness testimony is unreliable - it seems fair to have a higher standard before we use the highest penalty.
Comments
I disagree. Your argument is that there is a chance that someone mat=y be innocent of the crime, so dont use to death penalty. People who argue against the death penalty usually say, "The real punishment would be to have them get life without parole. Have them sit and think about the crime for years and years." Thats the ususal comment. Well, if that is the ultimate punishment for people against the d.p., wouldnt you also have to argue that you would have to oppose life without because "there is always a chance?" I mean...there is "aways a chance" that someone who gets life is not guilty, or a chance that someone who gets 5 years for burglary was not guilty. There are many many protections now for capitol defendants. It would be worse to abolish the death p. It is the ultimate punishment for the ultimate disrespect for a person's life. Would you not ahve executed Hitler if we had caught him?? for 6 million Jews?? What a slap in the face of those Jews who died. or what if we caught Osama?/ So we get to watch him be interviewed for 20 years? hear how he loves to be there? NO WAY. Ill pull the plug on Hitler and Osama (or Tim McVeigh, or some sum bag dood who robs and kills a convenience store worker
Posted by: Danny Curry![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/hoglawyer/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 4, 2009 07:03 AM
Let's see if it's possible to unpack the nutcake ramblings.
"mat=y"-I'm thinking maybe .
"ususal" = usual
"capitol"= capital
"ahve" = have
sum bag dood= scumbag dude ?
It would follow that a dead person cannot appeal upon discovery of new evidence but a person sentenced to life would be afforded the opportunity.
How many times has that happened? So many that a few years ago the Republican Governor of Illinois stayed all executions.
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Posted by: eLwood![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/hoglawyer/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 23, 2009 01:33 AM