SamHuston: yes in my opinion Timothy McVeigh should not have been executed and the same goes for every other nasty assed murderer that may have deserved the death penalty.
It is better that these people serve life without parole rather than the death they may richly deserve, in order to protect the lives of those people who are wrongly convicted.
We have a greater responsibility to protect the most basic right of the individual.
elrod: With all respect to juries and grand juries (I've served on the former), The prosecutors and defense attorneys are not simple citizens good and true. The judges and police are not simply disinterested citizens.
A jury is only as good as the information presented to it. As I stated over 100 men have been removed from death row that were placed there by the jury system.
You might not have potential jurors questioned as to whether they support the death penalty or not. In many states and in federal trial that question is asked of potential jurors in capital cases. Potential jurors that say they don't support the death penalty can be excused for cause by the prosecution.
In other words capital cases are weighted toward giving the death penalty.
If you support the death penalty you also have to admit that innocents will be executed.
It is better that these people serve life without parole rather than the death they may richly deserve, in order to protect the lives of those people who are wrongly convicted.
We have a greater responsibility to protect the most basic right of the individual.
elrod: With all respect to juries and grand juries (I've served on the former), The prosecutors and defense attorneys are not simple citizens good and true. The judges and police are not simply disinterested citizens.
A jury is only as good as the information presented to it. As I stated over 100 men have been removed from death row that were placed there by the jury system.
You might not have potential jurors questioned as to whether they support the death penalty or not. In many states and in federal trial that question is asked of potential jurors in capital cases. Potential jurors that say they don't support the death penalty can be excused for cause by the prosecution.
In other words capital cases are weighted toward giving the death penalty.
If you support the death penalty you also have to admit that innocents will be executed.