Revtim
12-04-2002, 06:09 PM
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/4659962.htm
Gov. Jeb Bush's highly publicized decision to delay an execution and await further DNA testing has suddenly put the pro-death penalty Republican in an uncomfortable position: under fire from his ideological compatriots.
Advocates for victims and their families -- the very people whose feelings Bush often invokes -- said Tuesday that they view the governor's eleventh-hour granting of a stay to convicted killer Amos Lee King as mere politics.
Even if the stay is purely motivated by politics, what is the demand that he be executed without delay motivated by? Not justice, since he'll still get executed anyway, unless the tests show reasonable doubt. Which is the way the Judicial System is *supposed* to work.
I can understand the family wanting closure, but how do the advocates, who are not emotionally involved, justify not looking at ALL the evidence? "Ehh, he's *probably* guilty!!! Fry 'em up!"
It's already happened once before in FL that a person convicted and on death row was exonorated, unfortunately 11 months after he died of cancer in prison. Why not make as sure as you can that this doesn't happen again?
Gov. Jeb Bush's highly publicized decision to delay an execution and await further DNA testing has suddenly put the pro-death penalty Republican in an uncomfortable position: under fire from his ideological compatriots.
Advocates for victims and their families -- the very people whose feelings Bush often invokes -- said Tuesday that they view the governor's eleventh-hour granting of a stay to convicted killer Amos Lee King as mere politics.
Even if the stay is purely motivated by politics, what is the demand that he be executed without delay motivated by? Not justice, since he'll still get executed anyway, unless the tests show reasonable doubt. Which is the way the Judicial System is *supposed* to work.
I can understand the family wanting closure, but how do the advocates, who are not emotionally involved, justify not looking at ALL the evidence? "Ehh, he's *probably* guilty!!! Fry 'em up!"
It's already happened once before in FL that a person convicted and on death row was exonorated, unfortunately 11 months after he died of cancer in prison. Why not make as sure as you can that this doesn't happen again?