August 5, 2007

New Jersey

Death penalty

Re: "Punishment can prevent brutal crimes" (Forum, July 29).

Wrongful convictions in the death-penalty system are anything but rare, as
the writer suggested in her column.

Since 1972, 125 men and women have been released from death row after
evidence of their innocence was revealed. To suggest, as the writer does,
that persons convicted of murder should be allowed only one appeal when
their lives are on the line is both naive and outrageous.

Many of these prisoners eventually found to be innocent saw their
convictions erroneously upheld through multiple appeals, and some came
perilously close to execution. The one-appeal-fits-all approach flies in the
face of what we have learned from DNA technology: Our criminal-justice
system errs.

With life without parole, there is no reason to resort to the irreversible
punishment of death.

ERIC E. WACHTER

Palmyra

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Source : Courier Post, letters

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... 50339/1047

August 6, 2007

New Jersey

Justice denied

A jury found Mary Ann Neabor was without malice, so instead of murder it
convicted her of manslaughter in the death of her brother-in-law who was
poisoned. She got 30 years in prison.

There is no difference in the reality of life -- you take a life, you are a
murderer. She deserves the death penalty.

When a person kills for no reason, then he or she should die as well. That
is the surest way to cut down on crime, and it will save tax dollars in the
long run. Taxpayers must pay for convicted killers to live in prison. I
regret that the people of this state are held responsible for feeding and
clothing them.

When a person is convicted of taking a life, he or she deserves the death
penalty. We must enforce the law.

PAT PALMER

Voorhees

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Source : Courier Post, letters

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... 47/Opinion