I'm not being partisan but I lost a lot of respect for Scalia when he dissented in a death penalty case and stated (badly paraphrased) that it's essentially ok for the government to make mistakes and execute innocent people because the death penalty served as a valuable deterrent to crime.
I mean really - placing the interests of the state ahead of basic human rights? What could be a more fundamental violation of your rights than to be put to death for a crime you didn't commit?
In a theoretical world where no death penalty existed and was replaced with a life sentence it would at least be possible for someone that was wrongly convicted to be released from prison if exculpatory evidence comes to light.
I mean really - placing the interests of the state ahead of basic human rights? What could be a more fundamental violation of your rights than to be put to death for a crime you didn't commit?
In a theoretical world where no death penalty existed and was replaced with a life sentence it would at least be possible for someone that was wrongly convicted to be released from prison if exculpatory evidence comes to light.