The Death Penalty Is a Miscarriage of Justice: It Should Be Abolished

Written By: John W. Whitehead  |  Posted: Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

            "The reality is that capital punishment in America is a lottery. It is a punishment that is shaped by the constraints of poverty, race, geography and local politics."--Bryan Stevenson, death row lawyer

            "Imposition of the death penalty is arbitrary and capricious. The decision of who shall live and who shall die for his crime turns less on the nature of the offense and the incorrigibility of the offender and more on inappropriate and indefensible considerations: the political and personal inclinations of prosecutors; the defendant's wealth, race and intellect; the race and economic status of the victim; the quality of the defendant's counsel; and the resources allocated to defense lawyers."--Gerald Heaney, a former appellate judge

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