Which would you rather do: execute an innocent man, or let a guilty man walk free?

[Occulus]

Poll question: Which would you rather do: execute an innocent man, or let a guilty man walk free?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

1. Doesn't executing an innocent man do both?

*sigh*

[Occulus]

2. Good on you for realizing that.

That I even have to ask that question on this board deeply saddens me.

[polmaven]

11. You have hit the nail on the head.

This execution will do both. I grieve for Mr. Davis' family and for our justice system.

And I cannot grasp that there are actually 2 votes, at this time, which prefer executing an innocent man to letting a guilty one walk free.....:shrug: Wow!!!! Where AM I?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

14. A cop was killed and unless we're 100% certain Mr. Davis did it a cop killer

may well be walking the streets, free to make more victims.

It's sad on far too many levels.

[dtexdem]

20. No, it lets a bunch of guilty people to walk free ...

and allows some of them to push political careers based on numerous executions.

[Uncle Joe]

22. Precisely. n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

30. Yup. +1 nt

[sabrina 1]

34. Thank you! the revenge seekers never think about that though.

Which is why justice is what we should be seeking, not revenge, it tends to blind people.

I am totally against the death penalty anyhow, we are the only so-called civilized nation in the world to still use it.

[saras]

3. It's too bad these numbers aren't reflected in DU posts

The number of "kill 'em all and let God sort it out" posts on DU is rather discouraging, especially when they're atheists who don't believe in a God who could do the sorting anyways.

[Rob H.]

15. self-delete, not worth it nt

[Iggo]

24. Excuse the fuck outa me?

Life is MORE precious to us atheists because, to us, that's all there is.

Think before you type.

[tblue]

4. The vote sure would be reversed on FR

That's why I <3 DU!

[A wise Man]

5. I just don't get it....

something is seriously wrong here. There's as much evidence now that shows this man shouldn't be executed and no one wants to at least reprieve this man and investigate the evidence.They may just be executing an innocent man but willing to let a woman go free for killing her daugther. Has this country gone entirely "INSANE'?????????

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. I get it, and I will gladly explain it

It would be an admission that the system can fail. It raises questions as to how many others are in the same spot.

So if you do not admit any wrong doing, then the system works.

THat is the logic they are working under.

Also some of these people are STILL in office, and tough on crime is not good if you do that. Sadly I am not kidding

[aikoaiko]

26. His was granted a chance to prove his innocence at a hearing last year and it didn't go well

In my opinion his lawyers did a very bad job. Its always a tough burden to prove innocence, but his lawyers screwed up too.

Having said that, the Parole Board screwed up even more by not commuting his sentence to life when they had ample reason to do so.

I say this as a Savannah area resident and a supporter of the DP option in sentencing. Troy Davis should not be executed.

[wryter2000]

6. Other:

Don't execute anyone. If someone's found guilty, keep him/her in jail for life. If you discover the person is not guilty later, let him/her out.

[polmaven]

17. I totally agree...

and...(this may not be popular)...that includes Lawrence Brewer...who is also scheduled for execution at 7:00 tonight for James Bird's dragging death! I have absolutely no problem keeping him is maximum security until he is old and gray, and dies a natural death - hopefully in a great deal of pain.

[dmallind]

7. What does the guilty masn do when he walks free?

From a utilitarian perspective, it makes a big difference if he's likely to lie low and keep out of trouble, or carry on killimg other innocent people.

It's certainly better, for example, to have one innocent person die than 10, isn't it?

[sarge43]

18. Executing the innocent man guarantees the free guilty man

won't continue to kill? Executing an innocent man won't protect anyone.

[dmallind]

21. Separate question

If the OP had asked "given an executed man proven innocent, should we pursue the guilty man anew?" it would have been a 100% result. Asking that to color the initial execution assumes that we would knowingly and in fact intentionally execute a mam we knew to be specifically innocent. You are mixing the general and the specific. Nobody sane intentionally executes a known innocent.

[sarge43]

27. First of all, there is never absolute certainty

That is the second problem with the death penalty -- no do over.

The first is that it doesn't work. The state, in whatever form it takes, has been executing individuals since there were states and using the most vile methods. People still murder each other routinely.

Evidence can be planted, lies told, witnesses threaten, juries manipulated, judges bought off and everyone involved can be slaves to their emotions and prejudices and still be clinically sane.

If in doubt, don't and there is always doubt.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

8. False choice. Execute the death penalty and it becomes irrelevant.

[hamsterjill]

9. I can't imagine executing anyone with even a shred of doubt.

I can't imagine the horror. I mean, if there is any possible doubt, take the time necessary to figure things out. You can execute the guy later, but you cannot bring him back once he's dead.

To me, there are very few times that I could agree with the death penalty. There have been a few cases where I could probably have agreed with it, but I would certainly understand that if new evidence came about during the course of appeals, etc. it should be definite that any execution be delayed.

I don't know enough about the case to say that I think Troy Davis is innocent. But with any doubt whatsoever, there should be no execution.

The Georgia system seems to simply want to check a box for "case closed with execution" and isn't interested in the fact that we are talking about a human life. This is greatly distressing and saddening to me.

[hlthe2b]

10. well, at least two posters on this poll...

really creep me out. :eyes:

[truebrit71]

12. Yup.

That is quite actually quite shocking for a website of this nature..

[Kalidurga]

16. From what I can gather they have no evidence.

The "witnesses" were coerced and doesn't look like they had any concrete evidence whatsoever not even gun powder residue. Not sure when he was "ïd'd" if there would have been time to get residue off his hands (had it even been there to begin with. However, a warrant would have allowed collection of his clothing that would retain residue even if they couldn't get it off his hands. I say no residue no conviction.

[WillyT]

13. Article: "Better 10 Guilty Men Go Free than to Convict a Single Innocent Man"

Moreover, do we all still agree that it truly is “Better that 10 guilty men go free than to convict a single innocent man” or has it become too easy to ignore the reality of wrongful conviction; as long as it isn't happening to our own neighbors? The Innocence Project has now had some 100 death sentences overturned based upon post-conviction evidence. According to their study of the first 70 cases reversed:

• Over 30 of them involved prosecutorial misconduct.
• Over 30 of them involved police misconduct which led to wrongful convictions.
• Approximately 15 of them involved false witness testimony.
• 34% of the police misconduct cases involved suppression of exculpatory evidence.
• 11% involved outright evidence fabrication.
• 37% of the prosecutorial misconduct cases involved concealing exculpatory evidence.
• 25% involved knowing use of false testimony.

Keep in mind; these statistics involve Death Penalty cases wherein the State sought to literally kill the innocent person who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

How many of those 100 innocent, wrongly accused citizens were convicted in the media before jury selection ever began in their trial? How many were wholly deprived of their Constitutional Presumption of Innocence? If we allow ourselves to make watershed decisions far "upstream" about whom is and is not deserving of the protections afforded by our Constitution, our entire system of justice becomes a hollow shell with a predetermined outcome.

More: http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2009/Jun/CS060809.html

:hi:

[HockeyMom]

23. It also makes the case AGAINST the death penalty

With life imprisonment new evidence down the road can free a wrongly incarcerated person. Dead is dead. Wrongs cannot be made right with the death penalty.

[reggie the dog]

25. neither

eliminate the death penalty and you take away the possibility of executing an innocent, living people can stand trial again.

[justiceischeap]

28. Other

If there is so much question about guilt, a judge or governor could overturn the death penalty and make it life. You wouldn't necessarily have to set the person free.

[Quantess]

29. False dilemma.

There is such a thing as a life sentence.

[Johonny]

31. I say kill them all and let god sort it out

wait what do you mean I'm part of the all. I want to rethink my answer. :P

[seabeyond]

32. i dont like either. if it is a murdering man, letting him go can be execution of the very innocent

we talk about....

[YellowRubberDuckie]

33. Those of you who say execute an innocent man are murderers, essentially...

That's ridiculous.