The Innocent Executed: Deception & Death Penalty Opponents – Update – EARLY DRAFT

These cases are a sample of cases that some anti death penalty folks present as innocents executed. Generally speaking, anti death penalty folks only show the defense side of the case or they present material, so ridiculous, not even the defense would offer it.
These reviews are offered as a balance to those anti death penalty presentations.
There are, at least, two sides to every debate. Avail yourself of reviewing, at least two contrasting positions, so you can make a, somewhat, informed decision.
It is arguable, if not definitive, that had the media been thorough, in the beginning, none of the cases would have become a cause celebre, sometimes lasting for decades.
1) Roger Keith Coleman
The classic Cause Celebre, anti death penalty case is put together like this: Imagine facts that evidence won’t support, but make it appear real, anyway. Keep it going for years and years. (1)
Jim McCloskey spent 14 years championing Coleman’s innocence. Create a case of an innocent executed and the media will come. And, boy, did they.
Here is McCloskey’s assessment of the state’s case against Coleman: “The (state’s) case was built on innuendos and lies and ludicrous, insane theory that falls flat in the face of common sense.” (2)
This is a classic quote of anti death penalty infamy: Mr. McCloskey, look in the mirror. Coleman’s guilt was confirmed by DNA.
For some time, Coleman’s defense team concentrated on the “real murderer”, with whom they, later, had to make an out of court settlement

Lethal Injection: Controversies Resolved

Several issues are raised with regard to lethal injection.
Generally, they are:
1) The murderer experiencing pain during execution;
2) The ethics of medical professionals participating in executions; and
3) Proper training of execution personnel.
1) PAIN AND LETHAL INJECTION
The evidence, including the immediate autopsy of executed serial murderer/rapist Michael Ross, supports that there is no pain within the lethal injection process.
There is a concern that some inmates may be conscious, but paralyzed, during execution, because one of the three drugs used may have worn off, prior to death.

A Death Penalty Red Herring The Inanity and Hypocrisy of Perfection

The Inanity and Hypocrisy of Perfection
The premise is that irrefutably proving just one wrongful execution would justify, indeed require, abolition of capital punishment. For example, in finally deciding it was always unconstitutional, Justice Blackmun believed (n8) that courts “are unable to prevent human error from condemning the innocent.” The New Mexico and New Jersey Governors signed death penalty repeals partly on the stated ground that it is not “100-percent … perfect…never [] wrong … foolproof.”

Reply to Dalls Morning News “What the Willingham case is really about”

The Dallas Morning News (DMN) writes: ” What counts most is the truth, no matter what the ultimate verdict.”.
We can all hope.
The DMN, until recently, has been extremely biased in this case. This anti death penalty media bias, by many in the media, has been, overwhelming, throughout the US, over the past two months in the Willingham case, just as it has, over the last two decades, with most death penalty issues.
The truth has suffered, greatly.

Innocence Project Report: Cameron Todd Willingham

In the Willingham case, the Innocent Project Report (IPR), in their executive Summary, found the fire was not an incendiary fire. http://www.innocenceproject.org/docs/ArsonReviewReport.pdf
The IPR provided no evidence of that and no other source for the fire was established. Discounting their statement goes to their lack of proof/evidence for the claim, for which they have none.

Todd Willingham murdered my 3 daughters

Stacy Kuykendall’s statement about the 1991 fire”, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10.25/09
http://www.star-telegram.com/texas/story/1709042-p3.html
“Stacy Kuykendall, the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham, offers her first detailed account of the 1991 fire that claimed the lives of her three daughters and led to Willingham’s execution in 2004.

Physicians & The State Execution of Murderers: No Ethical/Medical Dilemma

Physicians & The State Execution of Murderers: No Ethical/Medical Dilemma
The Hippocratic Oath and “Do No Harm” have nothing to do with executions
Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters, contact info below
Some in the medical community have attempted to create an ethical prohibition against medical professionals involvement in state executions by invoking the famous “do no harm” credo and the Hippocratic Oath.
It is a dishonest effort. Neither reference is in the context of the state execution of murderers. I find the effort to ban medical professionals participation in executions an unethical effort to fabricate professional ethical standards, based upon personal anti death penalty feelings.

Why Gov. Perry shook up the Texas Forensic Science Commission

Gov. Perry’s replacement of the Forensics Science Commission (FSC) members hurt him politically. He knew it would, yet he did it anyway. Why?
The ridiculous speculation, that such was part of a cover-up to hide the evidence of an innocent executed, Cameron Todd Willingham, was humorous.
Perry’s actions, brought more light, more suspicion and more outrage to a case that was, already, fully exposed.

Cameron Todd Willingham: Media meltdown & the death penalty:”Trial by Fire: Did Texas execute an innocent man?”, by David Grann(1)

I could speculate that David Grann was an objective reporter who made the solid, unbiased case for an innocent executed. But, I think that is already being done, around the globe, with editorial writers and journalists and other anti death penalty activists, quoting extensively from Grann’s article, with little or no fact checking and absent critical thinking.
So, why not do something different?
I’ll speculate this: “David Grann, anti death penalty activist/member of the defense team”.
I list the page number in the article, followed by Grann’s comments then, my REPLY, underneath.

Have you read the Beyler report? from Dudley Sharp, contact at bottom

Have you read the Beyler report? from Dudley Sharp, contact at bottom
Beyler Report Link at bottom
Here is an almost unbelievable example of how bad it can be:
p 46 “The appearance of brown stain on the porch at the front door was
taken as an indicator of an accelerant spill which was ignited to start the
fire. “AC Fogg did not consider or explain how this could be true in light of
the early eyewitnesses who saw no fire on the porch or at the front door.”
Dr. Beyler, try this.
Willingham lit the fire from the porch, as the fire traveled inside, the
fire died down on the porch, as the accelerant was consumed. The fire travels
down the hall into the children’s room, the fire expands in the bedroom as
it ignites all of the flammables.

A Broken Study: A Review of “A Broken System:

Based upon another, neutral source, the overturning rate, for that same period, is 30% and, likely, lower (2).
Of the 5555 sentenced to death, from 1973-1995, the period of the study, 1648 cases, or less than 30%, were overturned because of some error in conviction or sentence.
Even the 30% is too high, because some of those cases were overturned because of either new legislative or case law that didn’t exist at the time of the trial.

The Federalist Society: Sotomayor Debate Comments

The Federalist Society: Sotomayor Debate Comments Posted July 23, 2009
http://www.fed-soc.org/debates/id.420,dbtid.31/view_comments.asp
[Lester Jackson, Ph.D.] I was very disappointed that the Sotomayor hearings and debates almost totally ignored how activist justices have eviscerated the death penalty. There are few areas with so many concrete and easy-to-understand examples of how activism has harmed ordinary law-abiding citizens. I have written a detailed list of questions* based on actual specific egregious Supreme Court decisions that would shock a substantial majority if ever adequately reported (or even mentioned) by the media. No one should expect the questions to be answered honestly by any activist nominee. The main point is that they be asked repeatedly, now and in the future. Just doing so would raise public awareness of the damage caused by activist justices (including more murder victims).

Death Penalty Questions for Sotomayor

Death Penalty Questions for Sotomayor
…and the Senators who vote to confirm her
By Lester Jackson Ph.D.
TCS Daily 16 July 2009
http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=071509A
NOTE: Numbers in parentheses are pages and footnotes in the detailed paper downloadable here.
The death penalty has received little attention in the Sotomayor debate. However, when a massive 707,000 homicides in 36 years (one every 27 minutes) result in 1,136 executions (0.16%), capital punishment has been all but abolished (42-43). What remains is a costly, agonizing farce, dragging out cases for decades (48).

The Subversion of Capital Punishment

What they lack in popular support, death penalty opponents more than make up in tenacity, skill – and success. When a one-per-27 minutes, 36-year, 707,000 homicide holocaust results in 1,136 executions (0.16%), capital punishment has been all but abolished. What remains is a costly and agonizing farce, with a token few murderers served up to fool the public. The United States Supreme Court and other courts have played a major role, enormously aided by the media in suppressing critical information.

The New York Times Again Cries Wolf – Parts 1 and 2

“The State of California may be about to execute an innocent man.”
— Judge William A. Fletcher, quoted with approval, NY Times, Aug. 14, 2009
“This Man Might Be Innocent. This Man Is Due to Die.”
— Time cover, May 18, 1992
“Virginia Executes Inmate Despite Claim of Innocence”
— New York Times headline, May 21, 1992
“The execution of a person who can show that he is innocent comes perilously close to simple murder.”
— Justice Harry Blackmun, Jan. 1993, citing Virginia execution as example
Death penalty supporters have long been frustrated by the brazen deceit of opponents on the courts and in the media. An Aug. 14 New York Times front-page putative news report featuring a May 11 decision provides what nowadays would be termed an illustrative “teaching moment.” This 1,117-word story uses just 40 perfunctory words contrary to its agenda after complaining that an order upholding Kevin Cooper’s death sentence was only 80 words.