Since I've been writing more than usual in the last few days about the death penalty, innocence cases, and intersections between the two, it's worth pointing readers to a new report by the California Commision on the Fair Administration of Justice, a study group created to analyze the ramification of recent innocence cases regarding flaws in the justice system in the nation's most populous state. Their latest offering is on CA's administration of the death penalty (pdf).
Here are all the CCFAJ reports and recommendations so far:
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7 comments:
I wonder if they really want to fix the problems and create a better death penalty... or if they just want to torpedo the whole thing.
To 4:06: Why don't you read the report and see instead of speculate?
Good God Grits, I just finished reading your recent articles from the weekend then refreshed and saw this one. Is it just me or have you noticed whenever you write about the death penalty you get a lot of whining and vitriol in the comments? I would never have the patience ...
That does seem to be the case 4:37. I attribute it to tapping into the typical culture war fault lines where people are more comfortable expressing their anger, or as with 4:06 assuming they know others' motives without bothering to learn what they think. Otherwise I can't explain it.
The CA DP process sounds like a train wreck last lasts twenty years. There were lots of minority reports (not a good sign) and the estimated cost of going to LWOP seems too low.
There are other aspects of CA government that are dysfunctional. Former Governor Moonbeam wrote one of the minority reports.
I used to be a big proponent of the death penalty. I always thought that the deterrent effect was lessened by the number of years it takes to apply it because of appeals. Now I oppose it--not because I think that it is inherently immoral but because I think the State is incompetent and corrupt and I don't trust it to execute the guilty parties.
My attitude is that God will deal fully with death penalty offenders. He once charged civil government with that duty--but we screwed up and weakened the evidentiary standards prescribed by Him which are clearly laid out in the Old Testament. Now we risk becoming murderers by proxy in every death penalty case because of the hubris, incompetence and the stupidity of our government.
The death penalty is not the only thing Legislators have screwed up. Look at Deferred Ajuduications. Those are not convictions, but yet try, in Texas to get one removed from your record they are treated as convictions because our Legislators do not have the guts to stand up and do the right thing, so this is not right, read Texas Law 42.12. Even an act of Congress cannot do it and if our Legislator's in Texas do not start following the laws they themselves wrote, then I suggest we get new Legislators in office. Only elect those who are for the people and not there to just better themselves.
You can look on line and see where all their financial support comes from, lawyers, but companies and people who don't care about others, just vote for whomever they want in office.
Laws in Texas have become a sham and something needs and had better get done to right things so people can begin to have a real life, family, job and place to live again.
The Higher Judge of all of us will indeed take care of those who do wrong to others.
Please post this to your blog. This is a travisty. Distribute this to as many people as possible.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-jeff-wood-from-the-texas-executioner
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