To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (4316 ) 1/8/2003 10:08:16 AM From: Original Mad Dog Read Replies (1) | Respond to My main problem with the death penalty is not so much frying people, because some of the "people" being fried have really shown themselves to be animals. Rather, having seen a bit about how the legal system and rules of evidence work, and how rampant lying is in court (the oath to tell the truth means little not only to Presidents but to ordinary people, sadly), and seeing also how ambitious and motivated prosecutors might very well be tempted to cut corners for political gains (prosecutor jobs are a breeding ground for politicians), I just don't trust the system to get it right using its usual procedures and rules. I trust it enough to put people in jail, where at least if you screwed up you can let them out, but a death sentence once carried out is irreversible.How about an increased standard for a death penalty? Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. It has to be supported by reliable evidence. Fingerprints are a lot less reliable than though- -they are well short of 100%. They should corroborating evidence. If DNA evidence is available, it should be a legal requirement that it be tested and matched.
