General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The death penalty needs to be abolished ASAP [View all]qazplm
(3,626 posts)1. I think all of us, even those of us against the DP, have varying reactions depending on the level of certainty of guilt combined with the magnitude of the offense. I'm against the DP. Having said that, if Hitler had been captured alive, and then sentenced to death, I wouldn't have wept for humanity or considered anything other than justice. I might have had some philosophical arguments I could make against it, but really, it's fucking Hilter. Extreme example, but degrees of understanding.
2. Confessions aren't nearly as solid evidence as folks would like to believe. When I supervised prosecutors, I told them to pretend the "confession" didn't exist and build the case from there. Use the confession as the cherry on top of the sundae, but begin with the rest of the case and build up a strong case without the confession.