my_wan wrote:I don't lose any sleep over many murderers being killed. My problem is that, no matter what you do, a lot of innocent people go down to. Even law enforcement puts it at around 5%. The fact that the majority of people getting convicted of crimes they didn't do are themselves criminals in some way is no excuse. If you think CSI science fixes this problem, think again. Think how easy it would be to convict you, on some hairs or blood showing up in a crime scene, or even a freak accident.
It's easy enough to point at this or that case and say, we''ll at least there we can be sure they really are guilty, but no set of rules to codify the level of certainty needed is possible. The law doesn't even allow levels of certainty. It becomes a black and white binary determination. We already spend so much money on automatic appeals to the death penalty that it's cheaper to give a life sentence.
So the fact that I will not lose sleep over certain guilty people being put to death is not reason enough to keep the death penalty. State power, as sandinista pointed out, innocent people being killed, the lack of effect in reducing crime, etc., etc., is more than enough reason to discontinue it. As far as I'm concerned jail is not about punishment, which doesn't even work, it's about public protection.
Ah so, much wisdom my_wan, except the little bit at the end.
Punishment does work, as a deterrent. No punishment, no deterrent.
I don't think anyone who escapes the death penalty by plea-bargain or other means should ever see freedom though. Not being executed is enough of a break.
(unless they win an appeal against conviction).
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