VA Man gets death row appeal from beyond the grave
I heard this morning on NPR that a man that died 18 years ago on death row is getting something like an apeal from beyond the grave. Now that technology has reached the point to make good use of DNA evidence, this man's lawyer is getting the DNA evidence tested in an attempt to prove his client's innocence, even though his client is dead dead dead. Here's a news story on it
I can hear the arguments that are probably already errupting in the blogsphere. Stuff like, the fact that the man was found guilty and justice was done and that's that. On the one hand some might see actions like this as shaking the very pillars of our great nation's legal system. I suspect these people forgot that our legal system was created with the knowledge that it would never be perfect. Justice is blind and all of the symbols that goes with it. Yes, their fear is justified. Should this man who faced judge, jury, and executinor be found innocent thanks to the power of DNA, what next? Its not like the state of Virginia can take it back. The man is dead and no human force on earth can make him undead (ewww...would you really want to).
The people against this are those who belive that if this evidence exonerates him, then those bleeding heart liberals will strike a death blow against the time honored tradition of executions. I don't see this as being the case at all. Dead is still dead, and proof of innocence won't bring anyone back. Anyone who has been growing old sitting on death row deserves this. Do you pro death sentence people want to kill innocents or just the guilty ones?
I've always suspected some of us pro death penalty crowd are only pro death penalty because they like hearing about people die justice be damned. Don't lend evidence to my theory.
