[SeaHawkFan]

While I support the death penalty on a philosophical basis, there are cases where DAs are more interesting in getting any conviction than in making sure they convict the right guy. You'd be surprised at the number of times where prosecutors will maintain a wrongly convicted person was guilty in the face of incontrovertible evidence of innocence.

[achilles2000]

Yes, but even Alan Dershowitz has conceded that in modern times it is very unlikely that a truly innocent man has been executed.

[jospehm20]

The appeals in death penalty cases generally make it up to at least one SCOTUS justice. Not much chance of a local prosecutor swaying the folks at SCOTUS.

[vette6387]

“While I support the death penalty on a philosophical basis, there are cases where DAs are more interesting in getting any conviction than in making sure they convict the right guy. You’d be surprised at the number of times where prosecutors will maintain a wrongly convicted person was guilty in the face of incontrovertible evidence of innocence.”

I am with you, particularly when it comes to Texas prosecutors. Just look at what that pile of crap Ronnie Earle did to Tom DeLay. The appeals process should make certain that we do execute a guilty person, and I believe it does. Here in California our death row inmates die of natural causes and we have something on the order of 735 there as this is being written. If Texas is over zealous in executions, California is the counterbalance. We don’t execute anyone.

[miss marmelstein]

I think you make a good point - I believe in the Casey Anthony case the death penalty should never have been put on the table (although she deserved it!) If the jurors knew she wasn’t going to die (you know, after 30 years on death row), maybe they would have convicted.