"How often do you think that a person has been executed under the death penalty who was, in fact, innocent of the crime he or she was charged with? Do you think this has happened in the past five years, or not?"
EVEN WITH THE ADVENT OF DNA I HAVE CONCERNS AS MANY STATES MAKE THIS TYPE OF TESTING WHICH COULD PROVE INNOCENCE DIFFICULT TO GET. BUT I AM SURE AN EXECUTION OF AN INNOCENT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE LAST 5 OR 10 YEARS. JURIES ARE MADE OF OF PEOPLE. AND WE ARE AN EMOTIONAL SPECIES. MISTAKES DUE TO PASSION AND BIAS DO HAPPEN
It's happened. There were many people exonerated of crimes this year with new DNA evidence. Something they didn't have years ago. So, you can count on a certain number of people who were executed probably being innocent.
I know it has happened here in Illinois before the moratorium on the executions. I couldn't say how many in the past five years but I'm sure it is a problem everywhere. Innocent people are found guilty quite often in fact.
i am for it if it is 100% proven that they did it. my ex brother in law shot his wife 23 times at close range with his young daughters in the house, he did it, went to the police station and admitted he did it, so there is nothing anybody can say that will change my mind. he is supposed to be coming up for parole in a year or so...his dead wife won't be. so if there is solid proof there won't be any turning it around later. i'm sure it happens alot to people that did nothing, and it shouldn't, it falls back on the way it is handled by the court, i say prove it for sure then they should be executed.
We're the only industrialized nation in the world to still employ the death penalty. It's time we catch up with the rest of the world in terms of human rights.
I'm sure that it has happened within the last five years or so. It is unfortunate and wrongful executions are the only reason to question the death penalty. In all other aspects, it is a benefit to society. Just my two cents, not trying to start any wars here. Thanks for hearing my piece.
I'm sure it has happened, and to blame the Death penalty is not the answer. The blame has to go to the legal system, from the way the Police department handled the case, to the courts that tried them. But to let these animals live forever on taxpayer's dollars, is just adding to the crime. They live in a situationwith no release or a posible release to what, do it again? No kill the bastards and be done with them. Lets just hope that with the tools available we continue to get as few wrong people as we can. Hopefully none. But for serial killers, murderers, rapists, and on, death penality and a cheap burial.
It's definitely happened. We'll probably never know how many times. I used to be gung-ho for the death penalty (easy to take a stance like that when you're a kid), but the racial inequality of it is impossible to ignore. Until that's ironed out, and I'm not sure it will ever be, there should be a national moratorium on the death penalty.
human rights are something that you lose when you do something to violate somebody else's...period. The guilty ones should have no rights and I'm questioning if they should even be catagorized as human!!!!!!!
Of course this has happened in the last 5 years. I mean... I think it did anyway. However, "how often" - probably not very often. My understanding is that the process is dragged long because they are trying to avoid this to happen. So someone may still be alive like 17 years after he was convicted and sentenced, just so in case he could turn the matter around... I thought. So, I am sure it happens, unavoidably, but not very often.
Moratorium on death penalty and more regular REVIEW OF ALL CASES. [Think jobs].
Having said that, the sky is surely going to fall, but I agree with Don H. Our prisons are so overcrowed that it's cruel and inhuman punishment. More money to prevent the crimes in the first place; incarceration does not deter or rehab. Education can only help. PARENT EDUCATION and availability of BIRTH CONTROL.
Police can and do focus in on one suspect and get tunnel vision. It happens all the time, and yes they get executed. Death penalty overturn is overdue.
I read a book for a "Criminal Justice" class I took around five years ago. And the Professor who wrote it was writing about. The fact that we have two "Justices Systems. One for the wealthy, those that can afford proper legal representives. And the folks lower on the "Economic Level" that have to go with a public attorney. Attorney's for the "poor" or lawyer poor I call it. Get to spend sometimes just a few minutes with their lawyers before going to court. I have witinessed this while going to court for my own job, as a Rep. for "The Detroit Board of Ed. We would prosecute anyone that had committted a crime theft, fraud, etc. againest " The Board". But I watched as these public (over-worked) attorney's, would try and rush thru the information given to them. And see the client upset when most of it was wrong, and they had to be in court in a few minutes.With our double standard system we can't help but have mistakes. And with many " Officers" still bringing their own prejudice to work with them, many arrest are tainted from the beginning.
Only when we confront and eliminate the other inequities and injustices within the legal system can this question be considered on its own merits. How many innocents people have had their lives ruined as the result of a false conviction on a lesser offense? How many of them would, upon looking at things in retrospect, would have preferred a quick and painless end to misery found in the prisons to which they are confined?
The likliehood of an unjust conviction being revealed is far greater for a death-row inmate than it is for others consigned to spend the rest of their lives in prison. For that reason I have always chosen to answer this question on the basis of which sentence I would opt for if I was ever falsely convicted of what could be a capital offense. It is not the answer death penalty opponents like to hear.
I'm having a hard time with this right now. I was against the death penalty for all of the reason's cited above... However a friend/aquaintance of mine was murdered two years ago by a pair of would be robbers who'd come to his bar, waited for the last customers to leave then shot him, his door-man, and his female bartender... the only one who survived was the bartender. Recently one of the murderers was convicted and when I heard they'd given him the death penalty I was hard pressed not to cheer... it's easy for us to be anti-death penalty... until some one we know is the victim of a violent and brutal crime. In those instances where there are credible eye witness testimony and clear, unambiguous physical evidence including DNA evidence then yes either execute them or make their prison existance so horrible that death would seem like a blessing! I never thought of myself as blood thirsty until this happened... now, as you can see I am somewhat conflicted over the whole question.
Given the fact that Illinois eventually declared a moratorium because of the number of innocent people on death row who were exonerated by DNA evidence, I think that it is probably not all that common. Texas upheld a conviction where the Defendant's attorney fell asleep during the trial. I believe in capital punishment -- but I also believe in very, very strict adherence to the rules of evidence and that it must be very substantial to convict. Unfortunately, I believe a lot of work needs to be done with respect to improving trials involving the death penalty.
I know of at least 17 people who were on death row in Illinois. I know of another 25 who served over 10 years in prison for crimes they did not commit--this is in one prison-one state! The laws in Illinois are somewhat liberal and allow death row inmates a broad range of arguments to appeal on, but there were 2 men that were put to death that many believed were not guilty(in fact one man was almost certainly not--and was mentally handicapped). Then we have Texas and Florida, both of which have different laws for different people. Look at what just happened in Texas with their Juvenile "justice"(what a disturbing joke) case. The black girl is locked up for 7 years for pushing a teacher, but the white girl is put on probation for burning down her home--with her family in it--BY THE SAME JUDGE!!! Sure, justice is fair. And I'm Santa Claus. NO TO THE DEATH PENALTY--we are supposed to be civilized.
Please provide details below to help Gather review this content. If it is found to be inappropriate and in violation of the Gather Terms of Service, action will be taken.
Please select the part of the post you are reporting.
Please select why you are reporting this content.
Please enter a description.
You have successfully submitted a report for this post.
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 44
Life without parole.
my ex brother in law shot his wife 23 times at close range with his young daughters in the house, he did it, went to the police station and admitted he did it, so there is nothing anybody can say that will change my mind. he is supposed to be coming up for parole in a year or so...his dead wife won't be.
so if there is solid proof there won't be any turning it around later.
i'm sure it happens alot to people that did nothing, and it shouldn't, it falls back on the way it is handled by the court, i say prove it for sure then they should be executed.
But to let these animals live forever on taxpayer's dollars, is just adding to the crime. They live in a situationwith no release or a posible release to what, do it again?
No kill the bastards and be done with them. Lets just hope that with the tools available we continue to get as few wrong people as we can. Hopefully none. But for serial killers, murderers, rapists, and on, death penality and a cheap burial.
Moratorium on death penalty and more regular REVIEW OF ALL CASES. [Think jobs].
Having said that, the sky is surely going to fall, but I agree with Don H. Our prisons are so overcrowed that it's cruel and inhuman punishment. More money to prevent the crimes in the first place; incarceration does not deter or rehab. Education can only help. PARENT EDUCATION and availability of BIRTH CONTROL.
The likliehood of an unjust conviction being revealed is far greater for a death-row inmate than it is for others consigned to spend the rest of their lives in prison. For that reason I have always chosen to answer this question on the basis of which sentence I would opt for if I was ever falsely convicted of what could be a capital offense. It is not the answer death penalty opponents like to hear.
However a friend/aquaintance of mine was murdered two years ago by a pair of would be robbers who'd come to his bar, waited for the last customers to leave then shot him, his door-man, and his female bartender... the only one who survived was the bartender. Recently one of the murderers was convicted and when I heard they'd given him the death penalty I was hard pressed not to cheer... it's easy for us to be anti-death penalty... until some one we know is the victim of a violent and brutal crime.
In those instances where there are credible eye witness testimony and clear, unambiguous physical evidence including DNA evidence then yes either execute them or make their prison existance so horrible that death would seem like a blessing!
I never thought of myself as blood thirsty until this happened... now, as you can see I am somewhat conflicted over the whole question.
Yes
The laws in Illinois are somewhat liberal and allow death row inmates a broad range of arguments to appeal on, but there were 2 men that were put to death that many believed were not guilty(in fact one man was almost certainly not--and was mentally handicapped).
Then we have Texas and Florida, both of which have different laws for different people. Look at what just happened in Texas with their Juvenile "justice"(what a disturbing joke) case. The black girl is locked up for 7 years for pushing a teacher, but the white girl is put on probation for burning down her home--with her family in it--BY THE SAME JUDGE!!!
Sure, justice is fair. And I'm Santa Claus.
NO TO THE DEATH PENALTY--we are supposed to be civilized.