Posted on 09/28/2011 1:23:25 PM PDT by Sherman Logan
And I don’t see how that text makes that requirement.
There is also the difference between cosmic and human justice.
I would assume the vast majority of those who wind up on death row have been career criminals for most of their lives. If one of them is executed for a crime he didn’t commit, that is a failure of human justice. It is entirely congruent with cosmic justice, with a little irony added for spice.
There is also a difference between “not guilty” and “actually innocent.” It is probable that many if not most of the cases that have been overturned with new evidence the accused actually committed the crime, with the new evidence merely weakening the case to where a conviction is no longer possible. IOW, he’s “not guilty,” not “actually innocent.”
Defendants are not found “innocent.” The verdict is either “guilty” or “not guilty.” The distinction is either ignored or lost on death penalty opponents, who routinely equate the two.
“Not gulity” means that the prosecution did not meet its burden of proof in the matter and that consequently, grounds were not established for a verdict of guilty.
Saying “I can’t prove it” isn’t the same as saying “You didn’t do it.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.