Lethal injections raise defense attorneys' fears

AP on Yahoo ^ | 5/26/08 | Sean Murphy - ap

[the invisib1e hand]

What worries Rowan and other defense attorneys is the possibility that an innocent man could be executed

Yeah, sure.

[Sacajaweau]

Does “wrongfully convicted” mean “total innocence” or the use of a loophole??

[Clint Williams]

Since 1973, 129 people have walked off death rows in 26 states after evidence proved they were wrongfully convicted

Don't forget how often we're assured that these are the cases that get the greatest care. Makes you wonder about the rest -- think Nifong?

[rellimpank]

—see this for Mark Furhman’s look at the Oklahoma justice system—

—http://www.amazon.com/Death-Justice-Mark-Fuhrman/dp/0060732083/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211834549&sr=1-3

[montag813]

Since 1973, 129 people have walked off death rows in 26 states after evidence proved they were wrongfully convicted

Thousands of times more criminals have been released or paroled by the system, and killed innocent people. This is never spoken about, but it dwarfs the number of executed vermin.

[tired1]

i (wishfully) interpreted the title in a different manner.

[mrsmel]

I just wish they’d get around to that cop-killer Mumia Abu Jamal. I can’t believe that people defend this scum, and completely disregard the victim, the cop this scum killed. This world is bass-ackwards anymore in so many ways. Defending murderous scum, while trying to push ever closer to outright killing innocent babies, even after a live birth, or killing sick and elderly people in the name of “cost effectiveness”. God has got to judge this sick world before much longer.

[AndyJackson]

Lethal injections raise defense attorneys' fears

Whatever it takes man.

[xJones]

The case against Terry Lyn Short isn't as air tight as one would wish in a capital murder case. The odds are he probably did what he was convicted of, but there is a little room for doubt, IMHO.

[null and void]

In American jurisprudence there is no verdict of innocent. Once your case has made it to trial, you cannot be found innocent, only ‘not guilty’ which isn’t quite the same thing.

[xJones]

That’s a good post, see also my post 12.

[VeniVidiVici]

Florida leads all states with 22 exonerations, followed by 18 in Illinois.

These numbers look like commutations rather that exonerate and release.

[MarkL]

What worries Rowan and other defense attorneys is the possibility that an innocent man could be executed

Yeah, sure.

A case here in MO had turned me into a very limited death penalty proponent. There are some cases where it's called for, if there's absolutely no possible doubt... But when you're dealing with eye-witness testimony, then no, no way...

In MO there was an assistant prosecutor who actually said that an innocent man should be put to death because he had gotten a fair trial and found guilty - and this was AFTER proof of his innocence had been discovered and revealed. Check out the case of Joseph Amrine. I know the lawyer who handled his appeals. That did it for me.

Mark

[MarkL]

This is never spoken about, but it dwarfs the number of executed vermin.

Executing "vermin," not a bad thing. Executing someone who's wrongfully convicted of a capital crime, I'd have to call THAT a bad thing.

What needs to be done is reform parole and early release. The two aren't connected.

Mark

[MarkL]

Does “wrongfully convicted” mean “total innocence” or the use of a loophole??

Does the word "Nifong" mean anything to you? Check out the case of Joseph Amrine, who was completely innocent of the crime of murder that he was charged with, and convicted of. In fact, one of the eye witnesses against him WAS the murderer.

Mark

[the invisib1e hand]

my remark was directed toward the possibility that any such thing could possibly worry a lawyer, not that in fact innocent people are put to death -- I've no doubt about that. In fact, over 40,000,000 innocent people in the US have been put to death by legalized abortion since 1973.

With such wholesale disregard for even the most defenseless, innocent life, why would anyone be surprised the wicked remarks of the wicked prosecutor?

[Randy Larsen]

I do believe that the criteria for a guilty verdict is “within reasonable doubt”...

Not, “beyond absolute certainty”!

Correct me if I wrong.