Thread: Death Penalty II

Now what? Here we go again, this time a case which is not quite as clear cut. Read, read other links, let me know if this man is indeed guilty, so much so, that there is absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind whether he should be put to death.

Seven of the nine witnesses who gave evidence at Davis's trial in 1991 have recanted or changed their testimony.
Davis, 42, has repeatedly claimed his innocence and his supporters say the evidence supports that. No murder weapon was ever found, no DNA evidence or fingerprints tie Davis to the crime, and other witnesses have since said the murder was committed by another man -- a witness who testified against Davis.
The case has become internationally famous as the face of what critics call a corrupted justice system in the deep US south, with a black man wrongly and hastily convicted of killing a white officer.
The US Supreme Court became involved in 2009 and ordered a federal judge in Savannah to convene a hearing to consider new evidence.
In August 2010, however, a US District Court in Georgia ruled that Davis had failed to prove his innocence and denied him a new trial. The top US court turned down a subsequent appeal.
Davis is scheduled to die by lethal injection next week at a prison in Jackson, Georgia, south of Atlanta, barring any late decision on clemency. The parole board is made up of five members and it takes just a simple majority to decide a case

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...7550dbdcd03.81

No worries about an innocent man being put to death?

I think it's pretty screwed up, but it's unfortunately typical of our system.

I support the allowance for the Death Penalty, but I think it's used far too often by several states, like Texas and North Carolina.

Davis's situation is a good example of why it should be used sparingly.

It would have been best to include a poll, but time ran out.
With more and more people speaking about their doubts in the case, one can only hope and pray that justice will prevail.

Originally Posted by Shangrila

Now what? Here we go again, this time a case which is not quite as clear cut. Read, read other links, let me know if this man is indeed guilty, so much so, that there is absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind whether he should be put to death.



http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...7550dbdcd03.81

president obama should pardon him

Originally Posted by liberalminority

president obama should pardon him

What's BO gotta do with it? If anything, the man should get a new trial.
He should, however, not be put to death, on that we agree.

Good Lord, help this man.

Originally Posted by Shangrila

Good Lord, help this man.

I hope he isn't innocent, I really do. How must it feel to know you are being killed for something you didn't even do. And how would the person who killed him feel when they find they killed an innocent man?

At the very least, he should have a fresh trial.

If you could prove 100% that someone was guilty I wouldn't have a problem with execution. However, I don't believe in 100% proof of anything and so............


Western justice systems are supposed to work on the notion that it's better to set the guilty free than punish the innocent, but in executing someone you get rid of that chance.

Originally Posted by Panzerkampfwagen

Western justice systems are supposed to work on the notion that it's better to set the guilty free than punish the innocent, but in executing someone you get rid of that chance.

From the opinions of some of the Americans on this forum, I get the impression that many of them simply don't care that there might be doubt as to a persons guilt.