There are approximately 400 exonerees in the U.S. right now, who were wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit and were later found innocent via DNA or other evidence. More than 100 of these exonerees had been on death row, awaiting execution for crimes that they did not commit.
The justice system has too many flaws. We cannot risk executing an innocent person. But, of course, many people disagree.
Meantime, now here's more evidence to support an end to the death penalty, from yesterday's Chicago Tribune:
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Four of the nation's top arson experts have concluded that the state of Texas executed a man in 2004 based on scientifically invalid evidence, and they called for an official re-investigation of the case.
In a report released this morning, the experts, assembled by the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization responsible for scores of exonerations, concluded that the conviction and 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham for the arson-murders of his three daughters was based on interpretations by fire investigators that have been scientifically disproved.
The experts were asked to perform an independent review of the evidence following an investigation by the Tribune that showed Willingham had been found guilty on arson theories that have been repudiated by scientific advances. In fact, many of the theories were simply lore that had been handed down by several generations of arson investigators who relied upon what they were told.
The report's conclusions match the findings of the Tribune, published in December 2004. The newspaper began investigating the Willingham case following an October 2004 series, "Forensics Under the Microscope," which examined the use of forensics in the courtroom, including the continued use of disproved arson theories to obtain convictions.
In strong language harshly critical of the investigation of the 1991 fire in Corsicana, located southeast of Dallas, the report said evidence examined in the Willingham case and relied upon by fire investigators was the type of evidence "routinely created by accidental fires."
"The whole system has broken down. It's time to find out whether Texas has executed an innocent man," said Barry Scheck, co-founder and director of the Innocence Project. The report was unveiled at a news conference in the state capital in Texas, attended by Scheck, some of the report's authors and relatives of Willingham.
His stepmother, Eugenia Willingham, wept as she said, "We want the truth to be known in Todd's case. We want to keep this from ever happening again."
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