Cranky Bastard

Court rejects Ala. death row challenge - Yahoo! News: "In April, Arthur's lawyers sued the state claiming that the inmate was being deprived of his rights and was entitled to DNA testing of critical pieces of physical evidence, including a rape kit, bloodstained clothing and hairs aimed at showing that someone other than Arthur committed the murder. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta affirmed a federal judge's dismissal of Arthur's lawsuit, citing the authority of federal courts to dismiss such claims that are speculative or are filed too late in proceedings. Arthur filed his claim five days before the state of Alabama moved to set an execution date. The case is Arthur v. King, 07-397."


While I know that these things are often more complicated than what you can get in a story of a few hundred words, I would hope that it actually is. This story seems to say that an arbitrary deadline is what is keeping a man waiting for execution from DNA testing. I don't see the harm in allowing the testing even if it proves his guilt. Can't most of us agree that when killing someone, there shouldn't be a hurry for that event? Also, I am just not a fan of this precedent. The public should want DNA testing for just about everyone in prison regardless of their sentence or execution date. We should want it if for no other reason than if it were us or a loved one in that position. If this story is right, I say delay the death.