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Execution Moratorium In Illinois: Killing The Innocent

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Execution Moratorium In Illinois: Killing The Innocent
“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.” ( J.R.R. Tolkien). No one knows the exact number of innocent people that were executed. However, since 1973, 156 people Have been exonerated. In the article, Governor Ryan’s Execution Moratorium in Illinois: Killing the Innocent, Governor George Ryan reduced the sentences of inmates facing capital punishment in Illinois. The anti-death penalty citizens praised the governor. Many people are innocent on death row. The innocence projects work extremely hard help those wrongly convicted. The innocence project members are lawyers and good citizens who work to find the truth using DNA testing. Sadly, sometimes …show more content…
At the age of 17, he was charged with the robbery and shooting of Bobby Lambert. His guilt largely relied on the statement of only one observer that claimed she saw the killer's face for a brief second through her car windshield, 30 to 40 feet away. “Judge Trevathan concluded that Skillen’s identification of Graham at trial was “based solely on [her] independent recollection of the facts as they occurred on May 13, 1981,” and was “made independently of any conversation or processes that were performed by members of the Houston Police Department.” He therefore allowed her to testify.” (Capital Punhiment in Context). Two workers from the grocery store were also witnesses, who seen the assailant at close view. They stated that Graham was not the killer however, Graham’s attorney never interviewed them nor, called as witnesses to testify. Three of the jurors who voted to convict Graham signed affidavits saying they would have voted differently had all the evidence been available. (Capital Punhiment in Context). Gary graham was an innocent man killed at the hands of the government and the country. The government need to find new and effective way to determine built without any doubt when taking away a …show more content…
Genesis 9:6: "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." They believe that capital punishment was created by God and man didn't have the right to oppose. However, the bible also talks about an eye for an eye. This proverb means one cannot get even with one who harmed them. The government supports killing a murderer as a punishment for him committing murder. It is a double standard and ineffective. (Vollum, S., Longmire, D. R., & Buffington-Vollum, J)
There are various problems inherent in the current death penalty system. The system is broken. The death penalty should find more effective ways to determine guilt. If not, the killing of innocent people will continue. The first aspect that should be changed is the selection and biasness of the jury, especially racial bias in jury selection. The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution forbids the government from imposing "cruel and unusual punishments”. The death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment, especial to ones that are innocent. They ultimately die in

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