Do you, really, think anyone in the modern age would want to go back to lynching, or haphazard executions??
No, I don't think so.
The main point I was trying to make, is that capital cases are costing too much money, regardless of the outcome.
That was my point. Capital cases should cost lots. There should be an extra level of care because the state is killing someone.
Carelessness here leads to disrespect for the law and the state. Carelessness leads to belief the state does arbitrary punishment and is capricious. Recent advance in DNA research has led both to the conviction of murderers and the release of people already convicted. In the latter cases often before the new evidence and release there were often accusations of arbitrariness on the part of police, prosecutors and accusations of agenda setting, prejudice, etc. It appears some of these accusations were well founded.
I don't really want to discuss this a lot because I don't find it very interesting except for this: a modern state can't let its justice system appear, or be, capricious.
This especially so in places where, for whatever reason, there are communities that have deficiencies. These are the communities in which it's most important there be belief in fairness of the justice system.
You're right, I expect, that a lot of murder trials cost more than they might. But it's important that it looks like folk are taking things seriously, are taking care, and in our society that includes spending lots of money. |
