Campaign to abolish death penalty after deaths of innocents

[Doppel]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...h-row-inmates-executed-crimes-did-commit.html

As part of an ongoing campaign to have the death penalty abolished nationwide, the influential human rights organization Amnesty International sponsored a series of ads in Puerto Rico depicting the last meals of executed innocent prisoners.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, since 1973, at least 142 death row inmates have been exonerated and freed

I know that despite common sense hinting otherwise, that some innocents have been killed by the penalty, something defenders of this practice used to love bragging about was how nobody has ever been killed and found innocent. Well, how does that crow taste?

I'll be glad when this practice is eventually abolished across the entire country. It's inevitable and just.

 

[EagleKeeper]

There are shades of grey, black and white.

When the evidence shows the guilt, it was intentional and a life was taken; there should be no remorse.

 

[Zebo]

There is no black and white unless all 12 jurors saw the defendant kill someone. Not even eyewitness testifying are reliable or DNA since it can be planted. I vote yes.

 

[EagleKeeper]

There is no black and white unless all 12 jurors saw the defendant kill someone. Not even eyewitness testifying are reliable or DNA since it can be planted. I vote yes.

Jurors weigh the evidence

 

[CitizenKain]

The kind of people who support the death penalty pretty much have no problem with an innocent being executed. Which is why there is such a huge push to limit appeals, as long as someone gets executed then its all good.

 

[Nintendesert]

Hey, at least they died after receiving a trial. Now Americans can be summarily executed by Executive decree.

 

[ichy]

Once again Amnesty International show how full of shit they are.

None of these guys have been "proven innocent." Cameron Todd Willingham's case is the most disturbing but even with him there's plenty of evidence that supports the notion of his guilt.

The Daily Fail is just as guilty for spreading this garbage. They say proven innocent at the top, then when you read the bit about Claude Jones it says "Ten years later, a DNA test on a strand of hair has cast doubt on Jones' guilt." That's rather different from "proven innocent"

In Leo Jones's case the only evidence that he was innocent was his claim at trial that his confession to the cops was coerced. Yeah, ok

For David Spence they don't even pretend to provide any evidence of innocence. All they say is "Spence retained his innocence until the very end." Oh ok, he says he didn't do it. Clearly that makes him the victim of a wrongful execution. Yellow journalism at its worst by the Daily Fail.

 

[ichy]

The kind of people who support the death penalty pretty much have no problem with an innocent being executed. Which is why there is such a huge push to limit appeals, as long as someone gets executed then its all good.

90% of death row appeals have nothing to do with guilt or innocence. If you don't believe me you can pull up court rulings in hundreds of appellate cases on google scholar. The vast majority of the time it's nitpicking about bullshit like whether the jury was told enough about the defendant's childhood.

 

[ichy]

Hey, at least they died after receiving a trial. Now Americans can be summarily executed by Executive decree.

Were German-Americans who fought for the Wehrmacht and then killed in combat "executed by executive decree"?

 

[Doppel]

Once again Amnesty International show how full of shit they are.

None of these guys have been "proven innocent." Cameron Todd Willingham's case is the most disturbing but even with him there's plenty of evidence that supports the notion of his guilt.

The Daily Fail is just as guilty for spreading this garbage. They say proven innocent at the top, then when you read the bit about Claude Jones it says "Ten years later, a DNA test on a strand of hair has cast doubt on Jones' guilt." That's rather different from "proven innocent"

In Leo Jones's case the only evidence that he was innocent was his claim at trial that his confession to the cops was coerced. Yeah, ok

For David Spence they don't even pretend to provide any evidence of innocence. All they say is "Spence retained his innocence until the very end." Oh ok, he says he didn't do it. Clearly that makes him the victim of a wrongful execution. Yellow journalism at its worst by the Daily Fail.

at least one if them did seem dubious. I am guessing a large problem is typically after an execution it gets rarely looked at again later because it's too late.

 

[glenn1]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...h-row-inmates-executed-crimes-did-commit.html

I know that despite common sense hinting otherwise, that some innocents have been killed by the penalty, something defenders of this practice used to love bragging about was how nobody has ever been killed and found innocent. Well, how does that crow taste?

I'll be glad when this practice is eventually abolished across the entire country. It's inevitable and just.

No problem, we'll just let Obama designate the accussed as a "terrorist" and execute them via drone strike, no pesky worries about a jury of one's peers getting it wrong. After all, as Democrats have taught us if you drop H2O on someone's head via waterboarding that's "torture," but if you drop a Tomahawk missile on their head then that's cool.

 

[nehalem256]

The kind of people who support the death penalty pretty much have no problem with an innocent being executed.

You see the funny thing is a bet many people who oppose the death penalty would oppose it even if it is 100% certain the person is guilty.

 

[Nintendesert]

Were German-Americans who fought for the Wehrmacht and then killed in combat "executed by executive decree"?

Were any specifically targeted by the executive branch while not posing an imminent and immediate threat?

 

[ichy]

at least one if them did seem dubious. I am guessing a large problem is typically after an execution it gets rarely looked at again later because it's too late.

There are a number of advocacy groups that would throw lots of resources at proving an executed man innocent because it would do wonders for their PR campaigns. The best example I can think of was a guy who was fried in Virginia named Roger Keith Coleman. A lot of people acted as if it was a known fact that he was innocent. Eventually Virginia agreed to post execution DNA testing and the results were that he was guilty as hell. Whoops!

What we ought to do is fix the appeals process so that it's easier to introduce actual evidence of innocence but much harder to nitpick procedural BS. Under our current system it's disturbingly difficult to present new evidence, but if god forbid a prosecutor forgets to dot an "i" or cross a "t" that can get a conviction thrown out. It's insane.

 

[ichy]

No problem, we'll just let Obama designate the accussed as a "terrorist" and execute them via drone strike, no pesky worries about a jury of one's peers getting it wrong. After all, as Democrats have taught us if you drop H2O on someone's head via waterboarding that's "torture," but if you drop a Tomahawk missile on their head then that's cool.

What do you suggest we do instead, allow people to work for groups like Al-Qaeda with impunity as long as they're American citizens?

Here's a better idea: stay out of Pakistan and Yemen if you're American!

 

[nehalem256]

What do you suggest we do instead, allow people to work for groups like Al-Qaeda with impunity as long as they're American citizens?

Here's a better idea: stay out of Pakistan and Yemen if you're American!

But, but he might be innocent.

I mean I know I have personally spent months in terrorists hideouts without realizing it was a terrorist hideout :awe:

 

[Incorruptible]

The death penalty should be abolished.

The justice system is so flawed and corrupt that innocent people have been executed. Not one innocent person should be executed this way. The government has no right to take the life of a person unless they pose an immediate threat to the life of someone else. For cases of murder and rape full life in prison is much more suitable.

A life sentence is much cheaper and less court appeals than the death penalty which will cost more and takes years upon years with countless appeals.

By putting the criminal in prison for life they will face more justice compared to the the death penalty its over once they are executed.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

aside from the immorality of the death penalty, it is applied very unfairly. are you black? are you ugly? are you male? did you kill a cop? was the victim white? are you poor? if so youre more likely to get the death penalty

 

[nehalem256]

aside from the immorality of the death penalty, it is applied very unfairly. are you black? are you ugly? are you male? did you kill a cop? was the victim white? are you poor? if so youre more likely to get the death penalty

You do realize that those 2 things are basically a contradiction as people most often kill someone of there own race.

 

[soulcougher73]

The death penalty should be abolished.

The justice system is so flawed and corrupt that innocent people have been executed. Not one innocent person should be executed this way. The government has no right to take the life of a person unless they pose an immediate threat to the life of someone else. For cases of murder and rape full life in prison is much more suitable.

A life sentence is much cheaper and less court appeals than the death penalty which will cost more and takes years upon years with countless appeals.

By putting the criminal in prison for life they will face more justice compared to the the death penalty its over once they are executed.

Wild west style. Rope. Very cheap to hang someone. I bet you could hang at least 50 people before you needed a new rope Actually im all for that to be honest. Im pro death. Grim reaper fears me.

 

[Sonikku]

Putting people to death is expensive. I used to think it'd be cheaper because we aren't paying to keep them alive for life. But when you consider the automatic appeals and long, drawn out process those death row people end up costing the state more money than those that get life.

The fact of the matter is we need to cut costs. Remove the appeals process and send them right to the gas chamber already.

 

[PokerGuy]

lol ... amnesty international as a credible source. hahahahahaha

I'm 100% for the death penalty, but I'm not confident it's being applied correctly and fairly. I would not be opposed to a good discussion around safeguards added to the system to prevent innocent people from getting convicted.... but the funny thing is that most of those who complain about the possibility of an innocent getting executed are using that possibility as a smokescreen. They oppose the penalty for anyone, on any grounds, regardless of their guilt.

I want more safeguards in place to prevent an innocent from getting convicted and executed, but I don't want to eliminate the death penalty for those who's guilt is not in question.

 

[Chuck_v]

The death penalty should be abolished.

The justice system is so flawed and corrupt that innocent people have been executed. Not one innocent person should be executed this way. The government has no right to take the life of a person unless they pose an immediate threat to the life of someone else. For cases of murder and rape full life in prison is much more suitable.

A life sentence is much cheaper and less court appeals than the death penalty which will cost more and takes years upon years with countless appeals.

By putting the criminal in prison for life they will face more justice compared to the the death penalty its over once they are executed.

And just why should a murderer live life at any level when they took that very thing from their victim?

 

[Chuck_v]

Wild west style. Rope. Very cheap to hang someone. I bet you could hang at least 50 people before you needed a new rope Actually im all for that to be honest. Im pro death. Grim reaper fears me.

Actually I am for a touch of compassion....I think it would be ok to use a new rope each time.

 

[CitizenKain]

You see the funny thing is a bet many people who oppose the death penalty would oppose it even if it is 100% certain the person is guilty.

Yes, that's kinda the point.