Capital Punishment

Although I agree with capital punishment at this particular time, I do have a real problem with actually carrying it out, and the following article spells out those reasons.

Wrong man was executed in Texas, proba says (Yahoo)

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.

The conviction was the result of 'eye-witness' testimony ...

He was identified by only one eyewitness who saw a Hispanic male running from the gas station. But DeLuna had just shaved and was wearing a white dress shirt -- unlike the killer, who an eyewitness said had a mustache and was wearing a grey flannel shirt.

Should anyone be executed until there has been a thorough investigation and guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt?

Liebman and five of his students at Columbia School of Law spent almost five years poring over details of a case that he says is "emblematic" of legal system failure.

Although I wouldn't want to trade our legal system, it does have it's flaws ... which is why I would be very hesitant to actually carry out an execution.

What say you ATS? Is the possible execution of an innocent human worth having the ability to actually execute humans for heinous crimes?

I do not believe it is our place to carry out such punishment, only God's. What I do wish would happen is the return of hard labor/chain gangs. I think having to make little ones out of big ones would be more of a deterrent than execution. No one wants hard labor.

you know what i have a problem with?

human law says otherwise but to actually carry out this punishment, in my eyes you ALWAYS create a second killer.

because someone has to flip the switch, pull the trigger, inject the convicted fellon etc.

two wrongs still don't make a right, no matter how hard one tries.

and it reminded me of this song

reply to post by Another10Pin

Should anyone be executed until there has been a thorough investigation and guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt?

As i said in my previous post, no i don't think so.

However i think i'd rather be executed then spending my life in solitary confinement.

that's another topic but imho that's lifelong torture.

This has been an interest of mine for a long time. I am involved in legal arena. I have tried murder cases from both sides of the aisle.

There are many people that society would be better off without. There are people who should not exist for the crimes they committed.

That being said, I am against the death penalty. Not because it takes a human life. It is because there are mistakes made in the system. Eyewitness testimony is a prime example. For example, a person can say they saw someone kill someone else and the accused can be put to death. On the other hand, that same person can say they saw a UFO and nobody believes them. Yet, they could testify in both types of events.

The advent of DNA testing has released at least 100 innocent people from death row based upon eyewitness testimony which was wrong, in error, or outright lies.

At this time in my life, I feel that the death of one actually guilty person is used to justify those marginal cases where evidence is weak but still results in conviction. Until that is remedied, I am against the death penalty.

Originally posted by AwakeinNM
I do not believe it is our place to carry out such punishment, only God's. What I do wish would happen is the return of hard labor/chain gangs. I think having to make little ones out of big ones would be more of a deterrent than execution. No one wants hard labor.

Either way, is it ok to sentence an innocent man to death or just lock him up for life.

If those two are my only options, I will go ahead and just take death, even if I were not guilty.

If there is even a change an Innocent will be executed wrongly than Capital Punishment should be suspended.

Besides life in prison (not on death row) would be a far better "punishment".

Originally posted by Skewed

Originally posted by AwakeinNM
I do not believe it is our place to carry out such punishment, only God's. What I do wish would happen is the return of hard labor/chain gangs. I think having to make little ones out of big ones would be more of a deterrent than execution. No one wants hard labor.

Either way, is it ok to sentence an innocent man to death or just lock him up for life.

If those two are my only options, I will go ahead and just take death, even if I were not guilty.

You've just proven my point.