Should anyone ever be sentenced to death based upon the testimony of a single eyewitness

[Nye Bevan]

who cut a deal with the prosecution to save his own skin in exchange for his testimony?

9 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes
	1 (11%)
	No
	8 (89%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[Lyric]

1. I don't think anyone should be sentenced to death, ever.

[Warpy]

7. That, too, but no one should be sentenced to anything

on the testimony of a single eyewitness who is a stranger. Eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable to the point that I plead poor eyesight when asked to give an eyewitness account of anything.

In the absence of forensic evidence, there should be no conviction. I know that's tough for mugging victims to take, but unless the guy is still toting the gun or knife he used to threaten them, no dice.

[OnlinePoker]

2. Nobody should ever be sentenced to death.

It is state sanctioned murder, and I believe it is listed as homicide on the death certificates in some states.

[Throd]

3. I'm not completely anti-DP, but single eyewitness testimony is not enough.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. I'd stop you immediately seven words into that question with a "No."

But "no" logically applies to the question as a whole as well.

[NV Whino]

5. Not without other irrefutable forensic evidence

[MineralMan]

6. The death penalty should be abolished worldwide.

The state should not be executing people based on a jury's decision. Too much room for error. Wartime is a different situation.

[Major Nikon]

11. Most of the world already has

Only the most barbaric countries remain, including the US.

[Ilsa]

8. Even if a society accepts the death penalty,

Eyewitness testimony is unreliable unless the witness actually knows the person. And then you have to consider that person's motivation. If the witness doesn't know the perp, then identification becomes more difficult if they are different races.

Dr. Elizabeth Loftus did fantastic research on cognition and memory.

I vote No.

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. no

[Iggo]

10. No one should be sentenced to death, ever.

[JCMach1]

12. Just for the record, that would be illegal under Sharia Law

... ironic, no?