Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
I am conflicted about the death penalty. My concern is not whether it is an appropriate punishment or not. My concern is the adequacy of the judical system and its ability to determine guilt. Too many times someone has been on death row and then exonerated when the real killer is found. And usually they are poor and minority.
Sara I am conflicted as well. Recently there was a man on extreme make-overs who had been rotting in prison for years (maybe decades - I can't even remember) all because of a teeth imprint on the body which an "expert" testified was made from his teeth. Through DNA now he has been proven innocent and released. Amazingly he exhibits little bitterness.

As we become more and more sophisticated in the ways we handle forensic evidence hopefully these things will be happening less and less. Of course it is too late for some. My hubby is very strongly against capital punishment. I think it very much has its place in circumstances like the slime that killed little Jessica Lunsford. He has confessed. Let's save the state some money and the lawyers their trouble. My heart aches for those who may have been wrongly executed but I don't think we can throw out the whole concept. Let's throw out the lenient judges. Jessica's killer had 24 arrests. He should have been locked up and the key thrown away. Now there's a start. Sorry, I am getting off topic.