Things like this just reinforce my feelings about the death penalty. I'm basically for its use but there must be another phase of the trial and sentencing that requires extraordinary proof instead of the current "beyond reasonable doubt" standard that juries are tasked with for guilt. The current standard should remain to determine guilt or innocence but in order to use death as a punishment the burden of proof must be extreme. The only cases qualifying for the death penalty should be where there are multiple, extremely credible witnesses, sharp video of the crime (ie: Jack Ruby on prime time tv shooting Oswald), or maybe even confessions (although these are in doubt in cases of taking the fall for someone else or someone with a death wish).

Now under this system, I would also think that extra burden of proof could possibly be used to limit the lengthy appeals.

Wrongful death by capital punishment is not reversable. I can live with absolute life imprisonment if there's the tiniest iota of doubt in a murder case or the case rests entirely on the testimony of single or dubious witnesses or circumstantial evidence. Heck, even DNA evidence is not overwhelming. Were I to be inclined to murder with forethought, I think I'd collect a bunch of neo-con DNA to sprinkle about the crime scene.

Art