Yeah, I think I responded to your reply to Bill instead of Bill's post. Sorry.
I am in favor of the death penalty in principle.
I oppose it in practice because, being an attorney and working in the courts daily, I know that courts and juries make mistakes, even in death penalty cases, I know that innocent people are convicted, I know that police lie (look at Ramparts, it's only unique because they got caught), I know that poor defendants often get assigned attorneys who nobody on this thread would accept to defend a parking ticket for themselves. I see it. With mine own eyes.
Until we can devise a truly fair justice system in which we can be highly confident that only those who are truly guilty are put to death, my principle has to give way to what I know to be reality.
As soon as we get a highly confident way of proving guilt or innocence, then I say, bring on the death penalty.
I would only ask everyone here who favors the death penalty, if you were accused of murder would you be willing to have your life or death determined by a defense put on by a public defender fresh out of law school who had never defended a murder case before, who had a total budget of $100 for investigation, who didn't bother talking with you and getting your story until the day before the trial, and who slept through major parts of the trial? Granted, this is a composite, I don't know of any case where they all came together, but they are far too common in some PD offices.
If you would accept this for yourself, would you accept it for your wife or child?? |
