LEGAL INCOMPETENCE

INNOCENCE
Only 102 "innocent" prisoners have been released from Death Rows across the nation.However, the question remains "Were these prisoners actually  innocent?"  In fact, it is arguable that at least 68 of the 102 defendants on the List should not be on the List at all–leaving only 34 released defendants with claims of actual innocence–less than ½ of 1% of the 6,930 defendants sentenced to death between 1973 and 2000
source: prodeathpenalty.com

Fallacy:
"A review of death penalty judgements over a 23-year period found a national error rare of 68%." (ACLU Death Penalty Campaign statement)

Correction:
"The most important error rate-- the rate of mistaken executions-- is ZERO" - Paul G. Cassell

DNA EVIDENCE
Fallacy:
"Since the United States Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that capital punishment is not 'cruel and unusual,' 618 prisoners have been executed across the nation and about 80 have ben exonerated... Those disturbing odds beg the question: If the chances of executing an innocent person are so high, should we have capital punishment?" (ABCNews.com, March 6, 2000)

Correction:
"While most of those release from death row have been released for political purposes or for technical reasons unrelated to guilt, it is true that only a very small number have been released based on DNA evidence proving their innocence."

Source: The New American.com

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