nmoira Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 (edited) Willingham was executed for the death by arson of his three children, in spite of exculpatory evidence. I'll admit to getting misty eyed reading this. Trial by Fire It put me in mind of Scalia's comments a few weeks back: "This Court has never held that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who has had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is ‘actually’ innocent." in comparison with Sandra Day O'Conner's quote contained within the article: the “execution of a legally and factually innocent person would be a constitutionally intolerable event.” Setting aside questions of the moral and ethical implications of the death penalty itself, I believe that the right not be be executed when innocent of the crime falls squarely under the right to life and liberty, and is so obvious a principle that the a SCOTUS ruling about the significance of a defendant's being "actually innocent" should be superfluous. Edited September 1, 2009 by nmoira clarity, in the final sentence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 Just horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 I believe that the death penalty is good and fair, when there are the "witnesses" that are necessary. This is not an example of a righteous execution. (Debate about the affect on society and such is different.) I believe that sentences based on guessing what happened should be sentences that are able to be reversed. (Life, if necessary, would have been better.) What I always wonder, is why can't they kill the guy who gets caught killing the little kids...) they have to do something like this. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomLovesClassics Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 This is sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 Wow. Hopefully this will continue to give a shot in the arm to the TCJ system to reform. I am pro-death penalty in principle, but not as currently practiced. There are too many problems with it now - incompetent forensics, incompetent attorneys, corrupt DA's, you name it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 I've struggled for years over the idea of the death penalty, having stood firmly on each side of the issue at some point or another. When I think of innocent people being killed, I think that it's fair that the person who committed the crime have the "favor" returned. On the other hand, the Powers That Be just get it wrong too many times, I think. If I were the parent or wife or daughter of the person wrongly put to death, I cannot imagine the anguish. A few years ago I was in church and the pastor was discussing the death penalty as part of his homily. The question he asked that has stuck with me is "How do we know that God is done with that person?" I think that if God is ready to take a life, he will. I understand that man is subject to the laws of man, but all life, in my opinion, is just to sacred to take the chance that maybe our evidence is wrong. Maybe our process is wrong. Maybe the jurors were tired and ready to go home. Maybe the judge had a political agenda. I firmly believe in punishment for crime and, in general, think that people get off way too easily. The potential risk with capital punishment, in my opinion, is just too great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 I think it's called "Dead Man Walking" and it's by a nun (Prajean?) who ministers to those on death row and opposes the death penalty. And I thought that her arguments made a lot of sense. But she kind of convinced me that the death penalty is necessary, by describing in detail the crimes of the men that she worked with. They were SO bad, SO torturous, SO beyond simple murder (if you'll pardon that expression), that I was pretty much converted to the idea that these men must die. But I have changed in recent years, and it's due to the revelation that so many are on death row wrongly. It is completely unacceptable to me, as an American, that we should put an innocent person to death, ever. I would rather get rid of the death penalty than ever, ever do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 :crying::crying: How awful. That poor family, those poor kids. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 (edited) Dh is an acquaintance of one of the lawyers who stared Innocence Project. http://www.innocenceproject.org/ I abhor the death penalty. That's all I'm going to say. Hate, loathe, there are no words strong enough. An eye for an eye is the old testament and you can't bring it up and dance with it whenever you want, then not follow the rest. So, I propose we stone all adulterers. Edited September 1, 2009 by justamouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 I am against the death penalty as well since the risk is too great to put an innocent to death. I can understand the desire for the death penalty for heinous crimes, but the risk of wrongful prosecution and death is too great IMHO even if one innocent person is executed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 This story is horrible. There is no rhyme nor reason to why some criminals get the death penalty and others don't. There are also too many cases of people being found innocent after being on death row. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 If this interests you, the movie The Thin Blue Line is about a man without a criminal record, interviewed by Dr. Death, who ended up on death row in Texas. He was released after the movie spawned an outcry for a re-trial. The original testimony was also downplayed and the "coached" witnesses changed their tunes on the stand. It is an Errol Morris documentary. He also did one on Dr. Death, but I haven't seen it. Mr. Morris came upon Randall Adam's case while researching Dr. Death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 A very good read about this topic is An Innocent Man by John Grisham. It's as gripping as his other books, and unfortunately it's non-fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 (edited) Elizabeth Gilbert? Did I read that wrong? Not the same one who wrote "Eat, Pray, Love" surely. Because that one didn't go through a paralyzing accident. And she didn't have children, either. Something isn't right. Edited September 2, 2009 by Carol in Cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Elizabeth Gilbert? Did I read that wrong? Not the same one who wrote "Eat, Pray, Love" surely. Because that one didn't go through a paralyzing accident. And she didn't have children, either. Something isn't right. I imagine that Elizabeth Gilbert is a fairly common name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted September 2, 2009 Author Share Posted September 2, 2009 I imagine that Elizabeth Gilbert is a fairly common name.The author of Eat, Pray, Love was born in 1969, making her significantly younger than the Elizabeth Gilbert in the article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 But I have changed in recent years, and it's due to the revelation that so many are on death row wrongly. It is completely unacceptable to me, as an American, that we should put an innocent person to death, ever. I would rather get rid of the death penalty than ever, ever do that. Yes, thats my feelings too. Actually, I also just dont even like putting to death people who committed even horrendous crimes. An eye for an eye just makes everyone blind. I am so glad we dont have the death penalty in Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fshinkevich Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 That is very moving, incredibly sad and scary. How horrible for that man who was trying to get to his babies, how terrible for his parents to know he would not commit that crime. I can't begin to imagine the emotions. Most of the times that I have heard of people being put to death of crimes they didn't commit they were still guilty of some pretty horrendous crimes, not that it makes it OK to be convicted of something you did not do, but it was someone who was already in "the system", it couldn't happen to ME. This however, is a very different situation. This could happen to any one of us. Very scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 I think it's called "Dead Man Walking" and it's by a nun (Prajean?) who ministers to those on death row and opposes the death penalty. Have you read the book by one of his rape victims? It's called Forgiving the Dead Man Walking. It's a very good book, but I cried a lot while reading it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 A very good read about this topic is An Innocent Man by John Grisham. It's as gripping as his other books, and unfortunately it's non-fiction. When I started reading An Innocent Man, I didn't realize it was nonfiction until I came to the first set of pictures. I think one of the most disturbing things highlighted in the book is how commonly-used police tactics can push people to confess to crimes they didn't commit. I was always someone who thought that if someone confessed, he must be guilty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 :( Dh is an acquaintance of one of the lawyers who stared Innocence Project. http://www.innocenceproject.org/ That is such a wonderful organization. I abhor the death penalty. That's all I'm going to say. Hate, loathe, there are no words strong enough. An eye for an eye is the old testament and you can't bring it up and dance with it whenever you want, then not follow the rest. So, I propose we stone all adulterers. I agree. A very good read about this topic is An Innocent Man by John Grisham. It's as gripping as his other books, and unfortunately it's non-fiction. That truly was an eye-opening and sad book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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