“On August 30, 2007, Texas, the state that executes more people than any in the country, plans to deliver a lethal injection to Kenneth Foster, Jr. While this may seem like nothing out of the ordinary for a state that will perform its 400th execution this summer, Kenneth’s case is unique. He killed no one. The state of Texas will be the first to admit this. It seems unthinkable that a man who did not even touch the gun that ended the life of Michael LaHood, Jr. on August 14, 1996 in San Antonio, Texas would be sent to his death for such a crime. What makes this possible is the Law of Parties. A number of states have laws that enable prosecutors to hold those merely present at the scene of a crime legally responsible. Texas is the only state that applies this statute in capital cases, making it the only place in the United States where a person can be factually innocent of murder and still face the death penalty.”
…from the Save Kenneth Foster blog.
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I find it hard to believe that Americans are so barbaric in a such enlightened times as these that they still have the death penalty but to impose this on a person that was not capable of the crime of murder is truly barbaric. Tell me, when are the American public going to awake to the state of enlightenment that the rest of the 1st world has reached. It is rather scary for the rest of us to think of Americans hold such distructive powers in this world when their system still allow such barbaric reactiveness. This comes from a concerned Canadian.
As another concerned Canuck I can say I’m very grateful Canada did away with the death penalty some 3 decades ago. Tuesday we were reminded yet again of how unjust capital punishment can be when Steven Truscott, who at age 14 was tried as an adult and given the death sentence, was finally able to clear his name.
Capital punishment is abhorrent. There are no courts that do not make mistakes and the all too apparent corruption in law enforcement only ensures that innocents are executed by the state.
It is abundantly evident to those of us who live outside of the US that the governing bodies of the US are filled with blood lust.
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