Wrong man was executed in Texas, probe says

[Barth]

He was the spitting image of the killer, had the same first name and was near the scene of the crime at the fateful hour:
Carlos DeLuna paid the ultimate price and was executed in place of someone else in Texas in 1989, a report out Tuesday found.
http://news.yahoo.com/wrong-man-executed-texas-probe-says-051125159.html

http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/tdTu00rj.ND5dCzQyLD_dg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9Mzc2O2NyPTE7Y3c9NTEyO2R4PTA7ZH k9MDtmaT11bGNyb3A7aD0xNDA7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/photo_1337058087896-1-0.jpg

[TheTman]

What a horrible tragedy, and no way to correct the situation.

[Sage]

I'm no longer a proponent of the death penalty. There have just been too many people on death row that have later been found to be innocent. Our system is too imperfect for such an irreversible solution.

[les strat]

This is very sad and why giving a sentence of the death penalty to prove your state is tough on crime is stupid.

I am all for the death penalty if there is no reasonable doubt. Anything circumstantial should toss the notion of giving the death penalty in a case. Where it is clear cut, such as the defendant is caught in the act, is directly linked through DNA, etc, or if he/she confesses, fry em.

[Armybrat]

This is very sad and why giving a sentence of the death penalty to prove your state is tough on crime is stupid.

I am all for the death penalty if there is no reasonable doubt. Anything circumstantial should toss the notion of giving the death penalty in a case. Where it is clear cut, such as the defendant is caught in the act, is directly linked through DNA, etc, or if he/she confesses, fry em.

I agree, but Texas doesn't give out the death penalty to "prove it's tough on crime".

[jlottmc]

Look up what it actually takes to get a death sentence here. It's called Capitol Crimes. Here I'll save you some time http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PE/htm/PE.19.htm These are the about the only ways to get death here.

[Tinman507]

But the big difference between Texas and most other states is..
Texas actually carries out the sentences.

For the most part I am ok with that. Stories like this are horrific and disheartening but I still am a pro-capital punishment person.

[jlottmc]

Don't forget also that the average time on death row is something like 12 years, and that any capitol sentence is automatically appealed to the Court of Criminal appeals (criminal version of a supreme court, also the highest place a criminal appeal can go in TX).

[jlottmc]

Thing I've always wondered about though, Huntsville has the only unit to carry out sentence, and the Walls Unit is located pretty much in downtown Huntsville. Now our CHL laws say that within 1000' of an execution on the day of an execution weapons are verbotten. Most people in Huntsville are all but oblivious to what goes on across the street, many have a CHL. For them it's like "oh an execution, meh". I know also that they do not disarm. Just something I've been pondering.

[muggsy]

He was the spitting image of the killer, had the same first name and was near the scene of the crime at the fateful hour:
Carlos DeLuna paid the ultimate price and was executed in place of someone else in Texas in 1989, a report out Tuesday found.
http://news.yahoo.com/wrong-man-executed-texas-probe-says-051125159.html

http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/tdTu00rj.ND5dCzQyLD_dg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9Mzc2O2NyPTE7Y3c9NTEyO2R4PTA7ZH k9MDtmaT11bGNyb3A7aD0xNDA7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/photo_1337058087896-1-0.jpg

Barth, if you don't believe in the death penalty why do you carry a gun?

[Barth]

Barth, if you don't believe in the death penalty why do you carry a gun?

I don't take lives on circumstantial evidence.
This is one more example of why that's inappropriate behavior.

[muggsy]

I don't take lives on circumstantial evidence.
This is one more example of why that's inappropriate behavior.

So you wait for the attacker to actually strike before shooting? Just because he's coming at you with a knife doesn't mean that he's actually going to stab you. It sounds to me that you're not opposed to taking a life, you're just opposed to the state taking a life.

[Barth]

So you wait for the attacker to actually strike before shooting? Just because he's coming at you with a knife doesn't mean that he's actually going to stab you. It sounds to me that you're not opposed to taking a life, you're just opposed to the state taking a life.

I think that constitutes an attack my friend - LOL!
You're just too funny

[muggsy]

I think that constitutes an attack my friend - LOL!
You're just too funny

I'm sorry, but you are basing that assumption on circumstantial evidence, Barth. I thought that you just said that you wouldn't do that?

[Barth]

I'm sorry, but you are basing that assumption on circumstantial evidence, Barth. I thought that you just said that you wouldn't do that?

Stop it, you're killing me - LOL!
I'm going to bust a rib

[HenryinFlorida]

This is very sad and why giving a sentence of the death penalty to prove your state is tough on crime is stupid.

I am all for the death penalty if there is no reasonable doubt. Anything circumstantial should toss the notion of giving the death penalty in a case. Where it is clear cut, such as the defendant is caught in the act, is directly linked through DNA, etc, or if he/she confesses, fry em.

I'm with you on this one. Circumstantial cases should not carry the dealth penalty.

[Barth]

I'm with you on this one. Circumstantial cases should not carry the dealth penalty.

This is my point exactly.
The system is not perfect. It makes mistakes.
And irreversible mistakes involving taking individuals lives must be reduced.
This is a clear vehicle for reducing these mistakes IMHO.

You can free someone imprisoned falsly.
But you can not un-execute them.

Sorry for the dark subject.
Got to go now.
Good night everybody!

[Deano]

I'd have to agree with mugsy here. If you carry and are willing to shoot to kill, you have decided that some criminals deserve the death penalty. So Barth, if you'd kill someone about to commit assault, why does it bother you that the state would kill someone who HAS ALREADY committed murder?

[Bawanna]

For the record and only meaningful to myself I totally support the death penalty. In modern times DNA and forensics are good enough that mistakes will rarely happen.

I'd like to suggest that they utilize my excellent skills at profiling but I doubt they'll ever take advantage of that.

I'm beginning to think we've chewed this bone pretty well down to the marrow but I'll hold off letting the chubby lady sing and thanks for playing.

[Bawanna]

Aww heck, Barth went to bed lets all join him even if it is only 4:30 Wet and Wild NW time.

Thanks for playing.