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This is a cruelly ironic development against the backdrop of the major DNA news in another capital case today—a potentially innocent man put to death. There is

This is a cruelly ironic development against the backdrop of the major DNA news in another capital case today—a potentially innocent man put to death. There is no do-over or undo, no fixing mistakes, when the death penalty is in play. The death penalty is barbaric and indefensible. The so-called criminal justice system is criminally unjust, and abolishing the death penalty is a good start towards reform (one among many).

sharkweek 5y ago
I honestly think I’d be pro-death penalty in a world where 100% of the sentences are accurate. But that’s not the world we live in so I’m 100% opposed.
- protomyth 5y ago
  Basically this. I have no objections to offing people who have offed others, but I cannot reconcile the death penalty with lack of trust in government. If they make simple mistakes then they cannot be trusted to implement the death penalty with 100% certainty.
  - mikepurvis 5y ago
    You could also make a case for "death penalty, but never to be used on those who maintain their innocence." But that pretty much falls apart when you look at the whole cash bail situation, and all of the ways that system incentivizes the innocent to cut deals for guilty pleas.
temp8964 5y ago
Since we have DNA evidence now, does this mean we should expect less mistakes in the future? If this is the case, abolishing death penalty may be in the wrong direction. Instead of abolishing death penalty, how about raise the bar for the evidence? For example, how about death penalty only for those having clear video / DNA evidence?
- progman32 5y ago
  Say we do such a good job that we get a single wrongful execution per decade. Do you feel that cost is worth the benefits of the death penalty?
  - stickfigure 5y ago
    Possibly? I always heard it as "better to let 10 guilty people go free than to punish one innocent man", which suggests that there is a reasonable exchange rate. The problem with putting really horrible people in prison for life is that they victimize other prisoners. Prison isn't hell because of the guards.
    - progman32 5y ago
      I'm not sure that saying establishes an exchange rate. As phrased it at best establishes a lower bound. I suggest there's solutions to the prisoner victimization issue that don't involve the death penalty.
woliveirajr 5y ago
There's no way to undo the lost time that any bad decision causes. Time you lose that you should be with your family, the last hugs/words that you couldn't give, the wife/husband that had to work harder because you weren't there, the now ex- that moved along with life One problem is that money, apologies, a gold medal, doesn't bring back the lost past

sharkweek 5y ago

I honestly think I’d be pro-death penalty in a world where 100% of the sentences are accurate. But that’s not the world we live in so I’m 100% opposed.

protomyth 5y ago
Basically this. I have no objections to offing people who have offed others, but I cannot reconcile the death penalty with lack of trust in government. If they make simple mistakes then they cannot be trusted to implement the death penalty with 100% certainty.
- mikepurvis 5y ago
  You could also make a case for "death penalty, but never to be used on those who maintain their innocence." But that pretty much falls apart when you look at the whole cash bail situation, and all of the ways that system incentivizes the innocent to cut deals for guilty pleas.

temp8964 5y ago

Since we have DNA evidence now, does this mean we should expect less mistakes in the future? If this is the case, abolishing death penalty may be in the wrong direction. Instead of abolishing death penalty, how about raise the bar for the evidence? For example, how about death penalty only for those having clear video / DNA evidence?

progman32 5y ago
Say we do such a good job that we get a single wrongful execution per decade. Do you feel that cost is worth the benefits of the death penalty?
- stickfigure 5y ago
  Possibly? I always heard it as "better to let 10 guilty people go free than to punish one innocent man", which suggests that there is a reasonable exchange rate. The problem with putting really horrible people in prison for life is that they victimize other prisoners. Prison isn't hell because of the guards.
  - progman32 5y ago
    I'm not sure that saying establishes an exchange rate. As phrased it at best establishes a lower bound. I suggest there's solutions to the prisoner victimization issue that don't involve the death penalty.

woliveirajr 5y ago

There's no way to undo the lost time that any bad decision causes. Time you lose that you should be with your family, the last hugs/words that you couldn't give, the wife/husband that had to work harder because you weren't there, the now ex- that moved along with life One problem is that money, apologies, a gold medal, doesn't bring back the lost past