Another reason to oppose capital punishment January 18, 2007 Jill A 12th convict in Dallas alone is exonerated on DNA evidence. He was not issued a death sentence, but nonetheless spent most of his life in prison. Do we really want to issue penalties as final as execution in an inherently flawed system?
He didn’t receive a death sentence, but his pregnant wife was killed when he crashed his car on the way to a court appearance in 2001. I wonder what the racial make-up of the 12 falsely convicted people in Dallas County is. (I’ll try to look it up if I have time.)
You know when the State moves to use the death penalty, I have a clip run through my head. The one of the DEA cop who shot himself in the leg in front of a classroom of kids just after he told them he as a professional was the only one who knew how to safely handle the gun.
To answer your question, NO. The system is far too flawed and far too biased in favor of the prosecution to be trusted with such a final sentence.
I agree with Natasha Yar-Routh. Life imprisonment is plenty enough punishment without the death penalty being inflicted. Also, if we let out all the folks who got 10 years for possessing an ounce of marijuana, we’d have plenty of room to house the folks who were convicted of murder.