31 October 2008

Did Texas just execute an innocent man?

Earlier this month, the State of Georgia was set to execute Troy Davis despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence. Unbelievably, the Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal. Fortunately, the federal appeals court in Atlanta issued a last-minute stay of execution, pending their review of the new evidence that could potentially exonerate Davis.

But over in Texas, Gregory Wright wasn't so lucky.

Yesterday, the State of Texas executed Wright for a 1997 murder. All along, Wright had maintained his innocence. But don't just take his word for it. Don't even consider the lie detector test that backed up his claims of innocence. Instead, let's turn to science. Let's take a look at the physical evidence.

And... Voila! We have DNA evidence that suggests that Wright is innocent.

But, despite this evidence, the Supreme Court turned its back on Wright's case in the eleventh hour, as it did with Davis.

But, unlike Davis, Wright didn't have a lower court come to his rescue with a new legal angle. He just wasn't that lucky.

So Wright has received the ultimate, irreversible punishment for a crime that the DNA suggests he had nothing to do with.

Do the courts think that DNA is useful only when it proves guilt, not innocence?

Or perhaps they believe in the old motto "Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out."

In any case, it is clear that justice wasn't served here.

How can these judges sleep at night?

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