These were people who were found to be guilty and were sentenced to death row. Then they were set free as DNA evidence exonerated them. It is stunning that so many people are cavalier about tax paying citizens being put to death by the government they pay for.

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lambaste me not

murdered and slaughtered an innocent person(s). Not cavalier, more like demanding these murderers be put to death.

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JMS gets another English lesson:

Quote:

there is no "mostly unique;" thats like saying "sometimes always," its an oxymoron - its either one or the other.

The result:

Quote:

By the mid-19th century unique had developed a wider meaning, “not typical, unusual,” and it is in this wider sense that it is compared. The comparison of so-called absolutes in senses that are not absolute is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.

Nope I am talking about tax paying citizens who didn't kill anyone. And some people seem to be willing to put them to death in order to put other people to death. This is not a game of numbers. These are real people with families who pay taxes just like you and I, who are condemned to pay the ultimate irreversible price for nothing at all but being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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lambaste me not

Then I would agree totally, but it hasn't and it hasn't come close to happening. A quick search says the wrong convictions of those on death row happened before the use of DNA evidence. If they want to use DNA evidence to confirm those on death row then I wouldn't have a problem with that.

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JMS gets another English lesson:

Quote:

there is no "mostly unique;" thats like saying "sometimes always," its an oxymoron - its either one or the other.

The result:

Quote:

By the mid-19th century unique had developed a wider meaning, “not typical, unusual,” and it is in this wider sense that it is compared. The comparison of so-called absolutes in senses that are not absolute is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.

What hasn't come close to happening? People being wrongly convicted of a capital offense and dying as a result? You don't honestly believe this has not come close to happening. What if Hurrican Carter had been sentenced to death?

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lambaste me not

In the rare case someone was found guilty and sentenced to death it was overturned in appeal. You say "what happened if," but that's the point. It didn't happen. He didn't get the death sentence and in fact his case was eventually overturned.

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JMS gets another English lesson:

Quote:

there is no "mostly unique;" thats like saying "sometimes always," its an oxymoron - its either one or the other.

The result:

Quote:

By the mid-19th century unique had developed a wider meaning, “not typical, unusual,” and it is in this wider sense that it is compared. The comparison of so-called absolutes in senses that are not absolute is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.

Yes. Luckily for him he was sentenced to life, not death. What about other people who's cases parallel his, but were sentenced to death instead? Would it really surprise you?

I think you are being a little naive and turning a blind eye. You are basically saying that since it hasn't been proved, it didn't happen. When in reality when someone is put to death, the case is considered closed, and people stop looking or investigating. Had carter been sentenced to death, nobody would have been able to find out that he was innocent, since his help was instrumental in the evidence that came out to free him (ie information he provided)

People have been let out of death row now due to evidence not available in the past. So why is it unreasonable to assume that this hasn't been going on for a long time previous.

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lambaste me not

Would it surprise me if it happened in 1930? No. But I'm talking about the modern application of the death penalty. To answer your question, no I don't think it's ever been carried out incorrectly. There are millions of people who are against it, in the US and around the world. I find it difficult to believe that millions of people pouring over tons of cases couldn't come up with one single person who was sentenced incorrectly.

Hurricane was helped by people looking into his case, but additionally, when someone is sentenced to death the case gets even more scrutiny. Dozens of judges eyes pour over the same evidence. This is why I find it highly difficult to believe it has happened or even come close (modern times). Between that and DNA evidence.

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JMS gets another English lesson:

Quote:

there is no "mostly unique;" thats like saying "sometimes always," its an oxymoron - its either one or the other.

The result:

Quote:

By the mid-19th century unique had developed a wider meaning, “not typical, unusual,” and it is in this wider sense that it is compared. The comparison of so-called absolutes in senses that are not absolute is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.

[1] Roy Stewart (Florida): Stewart's conviction of the murder of a woman in 1979 rested almost solely on the testimony of a witness who testified that he had confessed the killing. Several years after the trial witness recanted stating that she gave her story for the sole purpose of avoiding a jail sentence herself for forgery and possession of marijuana. She was released from jail following her testimony at Stewart's trial and was paid a cash reward for her false story. Three state's Attorneys who prosecuted Stewart later came forward opposing the execution for lack of evidence. One of the state's Attorneys said, "The state completely botched the investigation of the scene. They threw away critical evidence. I came to learn... that they also had not pursued other defendants who had much more legitimate contact with the decedent than Mr. Stewart." However, even over the objections of the prosecuting attorneys, Roy Stewart was executed on April 22, 1994.

[2] Jesse Tafero (Florida) Tafero was sentenced to death along with Sonia Jacobs for the murder of two policemen at a highway rest stop in 1976. A third co-defendant received a life sentence after pleading guilty and testifying against Jacobs and Tafero. A childhood friend and filmmaker, Micki Dickoff, then became interested in Jacobs case. Jacobs's conviction was overturned on a federal writ of habeas corpus in 1992. Following the discovery that the chief prosecution witness had failed a lie-detector test, the prosecutor accepted a plea in which Jacobs did not admit guilt, and she was immediately released. Jesse Tafero, whose conviction was based on much of the same highly questionable evidence, had been executed in 1990, two years before the evidence of innocence had been uncovered.


Here are more cases like that if you are interested

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lambaste me not

I can't trust a website or an organization that is clearly against the death penalty to prevent evidence in an unbiased fashion. I can't remember his name, but there is someone (I believe in Memphis) who is sentenced to death for murder. The bands Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine have had benefits proclaiming his innocence. If you heard or read their presentation of the evidence you would be certain of his innocence. Then go and look at the evidence and the eye witness testimonies on your own and get a completely different story. One that points to guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

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JMS gets another English lesson:

Quote:

there is no "mostly unique;" thats like saying "sometimes always," its an oxymoron - its either one or the other.

The result:

Quote:

By the mid-19th century unique had developed a wider meaning, “not typical, unusual,” and it is in this wider sense that it is compared. The comparison of so-called absolutes in senses that are not absolute is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.