[LONGHAIR]

In AOL News they say California Death Penalty cost the state $184 million a year...700 people currently on death row in California...Money in legal fee's and court cost along with housing....That's just one state....I know ..DNA..has saved lives of people that where not guilty,but it seems our system is way to expensive.....Everything cost so much,and our Goverment just keeps spending....If their on Death-Row then that's what it should be ..DEATH-ROW...Stop spending our money on this...Instead they want to cut Medicare/Socilsecurity....This has to stop or our country and our kids are going to pay the price..big-time......They have stupid studies that spend on real amount's of money and they give to other country's and then borrow money back with interest from the same country they gave the money to...How-Stupid....Yes it goes to there country as charity,but if we borrow from that country can't that country give to their own charity.........

[Yunus]

Im all for speeding up the process but if any cases deserve a second and third look its a death penalty case. There is no redemption from that punishment so the state better be really damn sure before going through with it.

Do you think innocent people have been executed in the past?

I do.

[LONGHAIR]

Yes I do think alot of people not guilty of anything have been put to death...but we have to do something this is not working...and don't come to my front porch and hit me in the face with a Salmon......That was to funny.....

[towboater]

I think there are too many convicted when there is a reasonable doubt. Was it grilled salmon.

[CA357]

I believe that there may have been some innocent people executed. I believe that those on death row deserve death. They've earned it.

The key would be to speed up the appeals process. Perhaps a panel specifically to review death penalty cases with the District Supreme Court as the third and last review. Set a three year time limit.

I'm sickened when I hear of murderers and worse sitting in prison for years and years on our dime.

While I'm at it, why is lethal injection inhumane? What options did these black-hearted killers give their victims?

[c3shooter]

FWIW, here in VA- 1. Your defense counsel will not be the kid just out of law school- the Clerk of the Supreme Court must approve counsel in a Death Penalty Case. 2. Automatic appeal and review. 3. Nationally, average time spent on Death Row- 9 years.

Have innocent men been convicted- and executed? Almost certainly. But I do find it of interest- with all of the re-examination of older cases now that DNA testing may be pertinent, there has not been ONE case where DNA has shown executed party was NOT guilty.

Roger Coleman was convicted of raping and murdering his sister in law. 10 yrs later, with international clamor for his release as a "innocent man", he was executed. After his execution, additional testing became available. Death penalty opponents screamed for the tests to be done, to confirm that the state had executed an innocent man. Governor ordered testing by an independent lab. That found the tests confirmed his guilt, with a 1 in 19 million match. Things got real quiet real fast.

[quigleysharps4570]

Originally Posted by CA357

I believe that there may have been some innocent people executed. I believe that those on death row deserve death. They've earned it.

[CA357]

Originally Posted by quigleysharps4570

Have innocent people been executed? Probably.

Do those on Death Row deserve to die? Yes.

I hate the thought of an innocent person being executed. However, the chances of someone being innocent and being on Death Row are miniscule.

Where is your confusion? Do we not execute anyone because it may be a mistake?

[orangello]

Call me a wuss, but i wouldn't want to sit and wait to die for 9 years. It seems "cruel & inhumane" to make them wait that way.

I support a properly streamlined appeals process. If there is some DNA evidence that could clear them, process it and get it done rather than waste years arguing over it.

[Yunus]

Originally Posted by CA357

Where is your confusion? Do we not execute anyone because it may be a mistake?

Many people would say, yes to that. Including perhaps Benjamin Franklin. It also seems to be the basis for a trial by jury. Your not guilty unless it's unanimous. I'm not against the death penalty but I do think the bar should be higher than it currently is in some areas. Video proof, DNA, fingerprints, etc. I'm only suggesting this be applied to the punishment phase of a trial.

That it is better 100 guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent Person should suffer, is a Maxim that has been long and generally approved.

953. Benjamin Franklin (1706-90). Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations. 1989