What should they be able to do the state in which they were wrongfully convicted?
2007-02-07 05:16:18 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
This is one of the more unsettling problems of our Judicial system. One hates to think of those that have wrongfully been put to death because they could not prove innocence.
Often those who have been exonerated by DNA testing have sued those states that put them behind bars. However, many have not received compensation because the courts can argue that they were justly convicted in a court of law & since it was before DNA testing, they have no legal grounds for compensation. Some states have awarded some money; never enough to actually pay for the injustice that was done. What cost can you put on 20 years of incarceration? It won't give anyone back those years & the years are what really matter.
Although DNA won't solve every problem; it certainly has helped. Thank God for it.
2007-02-07 05:33:27 · answer #1 · answered by geegee 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those who are wrongfully imprisoned by the law should be able to sue the entity responsible. The spate of recent revelations which show the inadequacies of the process of gathering and use of evidence and prosecution based on that evidence should lead to serious changes in the criminal justice system. From now on, prosecuting authorities had better be absolutely sure that they have an open and shut case which will withstand later scrutiny and fresh evidence, a case not subject to ambiguous interpretation, as one might find with circumstantial evidence. If they cannot be sure of this, then they should let the suspect walk, even if he or she is really guilty. It's better to let a few guilty people off the hook then to incarcerate innocents for years in error.
2007-02-07 06:06:51 · answer #2 · answered by MathBioMajor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that all they get is an apology--if even that.
This is why I am so against the death penalty--too many mistakes have been made.
I think that those people who were set free by DNA after many years, should get a HUGE cash settlement--after all, they've not only lost a lot of years, but probably any money they had, their families, and more.
Additionally, giving them a large enough cash settlement might keep them from commiting a crime (if they've been imprisoned for years, they've probably heard about all types of crimes to commit).
2007-02-07 05:24:15 · answer #3 · answered by Holiday Magic 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They really shouldn't be able to do anything but collect a decent sum of cash ($500,000 or so) to set them up nicely and ease their worries.
These people were convicted through our justice system. They were found guilty, through evidence, by a jury of 12 of their peers. It isn't like the state rounded them up and said "You're guilty" and tossed them in the slammer.
Yes, it sucks. No, I wouldn't want it to happen to me. But they shouldn't be able to win millions of dollars. No one needs that much money. They need enough to get a fresh start and that is all.
2007-02-07 05:28:16 · answer #4 · answered by Goose&Tonic 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yeah, DNA is proving a lot of innocent people went to jail. They SHOULD be allowed to have sex with the wives of the prosecutors, be given the homes of those who falsly testified, and then pimp those people to a homosexual bathouse. Sounds about fair. Justice could work.
2007-02-07 05:22:21 · answer #5 · answered by guy o 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Nothing could make up for the injustice.
2007-02-07 05:23:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋