What in the world is wrong with the Texas "justice" system?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/200708...
They are executing a man they KNOW is innocent of the crime. Because he was driving a passenger who jumped out and robbed/killed another man on the spur of the moment.
There's absolutely NO way this guy is guilty of murder, even as an accomplice.
I don't oppose the death penalty by any means, but it must be administered correctly and to those that deserve it. Not to people who are known to be innocent.
Answers:
Under the Texas law he could be guilty as an accomplice. And it is rightfully up to a jury to determine whether based on the evidence presented to them he did enough to be considered an accomplice. What is messed up is that he can be executed for it.
who cares? That dumb guy KNEW he was hanging out with hoodrat thugs. Probably knew they were in a gang too. If you hand out with people like that, you pay the price. Strap his nappy headed @ss down and fill him with poison.
Look at all the whining liberal panseys here. you are all probably on the save Mumia campaign too huh? PATHETIC!
This is sick and sad. There are a lot of problems with our justice system, and this is one example of it. The only thing we can do is be loud enough for the government to hear us, and maybe something will change. How awful for Kenneth and his family to have to deal with an injustice such as this!!
all i can say is wow...that is really crazy...i agree with you totally
That's unfair because what if you were car pooling with someone to work and they got caught up in road rage and killed the other driver. Are you, as the innocent carpooler, going to be convicted of the crime too? How far are they gonna go with this? It is wrong. Although, in other cases, people should really be careful who they hang out with.
That really doesn't seem fair at all. It is so bad I had to sign the petition. Sure he drove the get away car he should have got time for that but not taking his life! He served 10 years let him go. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
The Texas "justice" system is about on a par with some other states, with the exception that they actually execute people instead of just warehousing them forever. Look how many people came off death row in Illinois. In most death penalty advocates minds, Kenneth cannot prove that he didn't know the murder was going to be committed, and he didn't immediately drive to the police station and report it, so he is as guilty as the actual perpetrator. As long as the state can kill anyone at their choosing, people will choose to kill people just because they decided it was appropriate for them to die.
It's unfair to condemn a person to death if he/she didn't commit the crime!
This is one more example of how little sense the death penalty makes. It can be a real eye opener to learn about cases like this. The more you learn, the more you realize that the system is full of problems, flaws, mistakes and that the best answer is to get rid of the death penalty.
I include answers to questions about the preactical aspects of the death penalty and a sensible alternative with sources below.
What about the risk of executing innocent people?
124 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence.
Doesn't DNA keep new cases like these from happening?
DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides. It is not a guarantee against the execution of innocent people.
Doesn't the death penalty prevent others from committing murder?
No reputable study shows the death penalty to be a deterrent. To be a deterrent a punishment must be sure and swift. The death penalty is neither. Homicide rates are higher in states and regions that have it than in states that do not.
So, what are the alternatives?
Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states. It means what it says. It is sure and swift and rarely appealed. Life without parole is less expensive than the death penalty.
But isn't the death penalty cheaper than keeping criminals in prison?
The death penalty costs much more than life in prison, mostly because of the legal process. Anytime the death penalty is a possible sentence, extra costs start to mount up even before a trial, continuing through the uniquely complicated trial (actually 2 separate stages, mandated by the Supreme Court) in death penalty cases, and appeals.
What about the very worst crimes?
The death penalty isn’t reserved for the “worst of the worst,” but rather for defendants with the worst lawyers. When is the last time a wealthy person was sentenced to death, let alone executed??
Doesn't the death penalty help families of murder victims?
Not necessarily. Murder victim family members across the country argue that the drawn-out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.
So, why don't we speed up the process?
Over 50 of the innocent people released from death row had already served over a decade. If the process is speeded up we are sure to execute an innocent person.
maybe he told the guy to get out and do it....
no tellin what kind of back biting went on in that
police station....
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