What’s funny is many people who say the government always makes mistakes also believe they never make a mistake when someone is executed. Even though a lot of people on death row were found to be innocent.
I was shocked to learn that Virginia is more prone to executions than Texas. I’d never have guessed that.
Not sure if it matters but Va governor cannot run for a 2nd term. That’s rare among states. They can run again if they sit out 4 years. The SE in general is big on the death penalty
Congratulations, Virginia!
Over it’s whole centuries-long history, maybe. In modern times Texas is way ahead.
It’s only #2 after Texas in modern times.
“In modern times, Virginia trails only Texas in the number of executions since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.”
So that’s #1 overall, and #2 recently. That’s still a crap ton.
ETA: To be fair you’re right it’s still way behind Texas in modern times, Texas has more than 5 times as many. And Oklahoma is only 1 less.
Further, though Texas has 3.4 times the population of Virginia, the murder rate does not seem higher enough to make for the difference between 3.4 and 5. So Texas is truly an outlier case in its enthusiasm for applying this answer to the problem. Or else you’d have to think the counties with really hardcore judges and juries have an extraordinary share of the murderin’ going on in Texas.
Extremely disappointing. The state is depriving people of justice.
Of course not.
Well, since they arent, you should be shocked.
In modern times, Virginia trails only Texas in the number of executions since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. But the number is 113 to 569, Texas leading. Ok 112, Fla 99. Missouri, 90… CA 13.
But in this century, VA= 40, Tx 341.
Texas just likes to kill people, and at least one recently was wrongly convicted and executed.
Cite?
I am continually astounded by the political transformation of Virginia over the last 15-20 years. It went from a state never seriously contested by Democratic Presidential candidates to one that was never seriously contested by Trump. Democrats hold every statewide office and the state legislature. And while there are still some “blue dogs”, most of the party is composed of genuinely progressive Democrats.
I understand the role that the explosive growth in the DC and Richmond suburbs has played, but North Carolina has had similar growth around Charlotte and the Research Triangle yet remained stubbornly Republican.
Cameron Todd Willingham
wiki
Fire investigator Gerald L. Hurst reviewed the case documents, including the trial transcriptions and an hour-long videotape of the aftermath of the fire scene. Hurst said in December 2004 that “There’s nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fire. It was just a fire.”[7]
In June 2009, the State of Texas ordered a re-examination of the case. In August 2009, eighteen years after the fire and five years after Willingham’s execution, a report conducted by Dr. Craig Beyler, hired by the Texas Forensic Science Commission to review the case, found that “a finding of arson could not be sustained.” Beyler said key testimony from a fire marshal at Willingham’s trial was “hardly consistent with a scientific mind-set and is more characteristic of mystics or psychics.”[1][2]… An August 2009 Chicago Tribune investigative article concluded, “Over the past five years, the Willingham case has been reviewed by nine of the nation’s top fire scientists — first for the Tribune , then for the Innocence Project, and now for the commission. All concluded that the original investigators relied on outdated theories and folklore to justify the determination of arson. The only other evidence of significance against Willingham was twice-recanted testimony by another inmate, who testified that Willingham had confessed to him. Jailhouse informants are viewed with skepticism in the justice system, so much so that some jurisdictions have restrictions against their use.”[31]
I’m guessing it has to do with DC’s growth, and more importantly, the insanity of the Republican party. People living in Arlington, Fairfax, and Alexandria who are now democrats would have been Bush/Reagan republicans 15-20 years ago.
It reflects a lot of hard work by a lot of people (one of whom is my dad), as well as some major shifts in what sort of people align with which party, as @asahi mentioned – but I also think there’s a specific-to-the-DC-area cultural dynamic where it used to be the case that Democrats gravitated to the Maryland suburbs and Republicans to the VA side, but this is now no longer true. (I don’t know where the Republicans go now. Surely there must have been a bunch of them moving into the area in 2017, as with other administrations? 'Tis a mystery.)
Welcome to the thread! 
Try reading the whole thing.
I did, you made a error. Do you deny that?
Now, sure other pointed that out also. So?
20 years ago is hardly 'recent", and being as this is the only case people bring up where the evidence for innocence is any more substantial than “he says he didn’t do it”, I’ve seen it presented before.
The evidence is clear that Willingham was 100% guilty.
If the experts all say there was no arson, how could he be guilty?
I mean, the only other evidence was a jailhouse snitch who has been totally discredited.
Yeah, and it was discussed genius. I made a mea culpa, even posted information refuting my own earlier impression. Clearly you’re not paying attention.
Do you have anything to actually contribute…?