3. If you think it's too expensive to imprison people, then I guess you value money more than life. Nice set of values there, Bubba. The mafia is looking for guys just like you, so you'll never be out of work!

As a rule, I laugh & applaud your posts in equal measure, Hawk. Occasionally I want to spit, & this is one of those moments... No, I don't value money more than life. I also don't live in Utopia, where money is in endless supply. I do not believe that the likelihood of mis-convicting a Ted Bundy, a Peter Sutcliffe, a Dr. Crippen, a Jack The Ripper, is worth the expense of keeping these scumbags in prison for life.

There are many debatable convictions on Death Row in America. But when the conviction is "beyond reasonable doubt", as Rapaire says, what do you do with them? Do you think that any salutary lesson is set by keeping them in prison? Because I don't!! So it's wasted money that could be better spent on something more useful... Making the world a better place so that people don't turn out this way... Spending it on healthcare so that people *don't* die, or have a better quality of life... Etcetera...

In times past (& times current, if American legal proceedings are anything to go by), Justice is observed more in breach than practice. What did I say earlier? ..."justice" is slow & expensive, and (as Gareth says) usually belongs to the bloke wot has the most money!

So your system is f***ed? What does that prove? That your system is f***ed, nothing more, nothing less. Sort your system out... When the evidence is incontrovertible (& modern standards are many times more exacting than even 25 years ago), then execute. If there might be the slightest shred of doubt, then hold off & look for more evidence. Nothing I see here argues against CP, but only illuminates the weakness in the application of the system as it exists now.