Man who spent decades on La. death row is freed

Ragman · Mar 12, 2014

This is why I am so anti death penalty!
Turns out HE DIDN'T DO IT!!!!!!!
What would we say if he had been put to death? OOP'S Sorry?

Man who spent decades on La. death row is freed

LDB · Mar 12, 2014

Capital punishment should only potentially apply with either DNA evidence confirmed by two independent testing labs or high quality video evidence. Then there wouldn't be any possibility of an oops.

davekc · Mar 12, 2014

LDB said:
Capital punishment should only potentially apply with either DNA evidence confirmed by two independent testing labs or high quality video evidence. Then there wouldn't be any possibility of an oops.

That would be the only way. Positively no capital punishment based on witness testimony. Too many things change over time.

Ragman · Mar 12, 2014

davekc said:
Positively no capital punishment . . .

Period, end of sentence.

Even DNA is not without faults.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18dna.html

LDB · Mar 12, 2014

That's why you have two separate independent labs. They have no reason to be creative.

davekc · Mar 12, 2014

That would raise some cause for concerns. Although two labs wouldn't address something that is planted.

LDB · Mar 12, 2014

With proper chain of custody it would be basically impossible to do that and moreso when two inependent labs outside the purview and authority of the crime lab are involved.

Turtle · Mar 12, 2014

You can plant evidence at the crime scene, before both labs even get it.

cheri1122 · Mar 12, 2014

Ragman said:
This is why I am so anti death penalty!
Turns out HE DIDN'T DO IT!!!!!!!
What would we say if he had been put to death? OOP'S Sorry?

Man who spent decades on La. death row is freed

'We've' had to say that to quite a few death row inmates, [generally with a lot of money as a token of sincerity], but when the convicted person has already been executed, no one tries to exonerate them, AFAIK.
I bet it's happened, and more than once.
On this subject, I am pro life, because we are not infallible. Better the guilty go free...

LDB · Mar 13, 2014

cheri1122 said:
On this subject, I am pro life, because we are not infallible. Better the guilty go free...

Too bad you don't care as much about the completely innocent as about the guilty.

RLENT · Mar 13, 2014

LDB said:
Too bad you don't care as much about the completely innocent as about the guilty.

Too bad you can't see that it's the innocent that she actually cares about, and not the guilty ...

aquitted · Mar 13, 2014

Not saying it's right or wrong but the Commonwealth of Virginia waits 5 yrs before executing anyone on deathrow incase any new evidence is found.

blackpup · Mar 13, 2014

A defense lawyer's perspective

An Interview With Sam Dalton, Now In His Seventh Decade Of Criminal Defense Law

jimmy

Ragman · Mar 13, 2014

aquitted said:
Not saying it's right or wrong but the Commonwealth of Virginia waits 5 yrs before executing anyone on death row in case any new evidence is found.

5 years is not enough time.
No amount of time waiting for new evidence is enough.

The death penalty needs to be abolished once and for all.

aquitted · Mar 13, 2014

Ragman said:
5 years is not enough time.
No amount of time waiting for new evidence is enough.

The death penalty needs to be abolished one and for all.[/QUOTE
I here ya boss. I did 5 yrs in the joint and if I had a life sentence I would of ended it quickly, and probably if I had more than 5 yrs too but I know others do fine in that envirement and can't handle the streets.