Has an innocent person on death row every been executed in the US?

Question

And if this has happened even only once, isn't that a good enough reason to do away with the death penalty and replace it with life without parole?

Answer 1

No Doubt it has happened

Answer 2

Agreed.

In the last 30 years in the U.S. alone, over 100 people have been released from death row because they were exonerated by DNA evidence. These are ALL people who were found guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt."  Unfortunately, DNA evidence is not available in most cases.

So, as long as the death penalty is in place, you are pretty much GUARANTEED to occasionally execute innocent people.

I'd say that's a pretty high price to pay for revenge.

Answer 3

I would agree, but only if murderers would quit killing innocent people. If one innocent person makes it through the entire process of trials and appeals, and is still given the death penalty, then such is the price of a civilized democracy.

If we get to the point that a person is convicted, and then immediately ushered to an awaiting killing room; then I would say we have gone to far.

If liberals want to do away with the death penalty, they need to use all their supposed intellect to find a way that stops murderers before they murder.  

Answer 4

it would have happened and still will happen - once you take a life and you find out a man is innocent - its far to late  

Answer 5

Never.  Not once.

Answer 6

Yes. And that is the main argument against death penalty.

Saying that, i also think that sometimes death penalty is more humane than life in prison. Also, some crimes are so terrible that death penalty seems  like a very mild punishment.

Answer 7

I'm not sure if it has or not.  I am simply not comfortable with state sponsored executions as punishment for crimes..

Answer 8

I'm pro-choice and pro-death penalty.  The answer to your question is probably yes but it's something I'm willing to live with.

"Has a fetus ever been aborted who would've grown up to find the cure for AIDS and cancer"  I guess but I'm still pro-choice.

Answer 9

Yes... it happens quite frequently:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty-...

Time to do away with the death penalty and get lower income people some better representation!

Answer 10

You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.  It may have happened, it could happen, that an innocent man be executed, but very unlikely, with all the appeals, etc,etc,etc.  But if for nothing more then to execute people like Jeffery Dahmer, Son of Sam, the Unibomber, and Timothy McVeigh we need to keep the death penalty.

Answer 11

I agree.

Answer 12

its possible, but your saying that because if one innocent person dies on death row, then thousands of brutal murderer/rapists, should be kept alive at the tax payers expense?  sounds shaky to me, its called collateral damage in war, sometimes innocents die so that many wicked men will  

Answer 13

It's possible, and I agree with you.

Answer 14

I know for sure that there has been innocent people on death row that were freed. But the thought alone that an innocent person was so close to state ordered death scares me. Do away with the death penalty...it's cheaper anyway to keep someone in a high security prison for life then to kill them.