Looks like noted abolitionist and best selling author, Scott Turow, spoke at Stanford this week and explained to students the flaws he sees in the death penalty. Turow assisted with review of the Illinois death penalty system. Before that two year review, Turow was a self-proclaimed "death penalty agnostic." After spending two years reviewing the system and seeing all of its flaws, Turow is now an abolitionist. He is quoted as saying “the state will never be able to exact the ultimate punishment for the ultimate evils without also involving the innocent.”

Innocence is one of the biggest concerns about the application of the death penalty in this justice system (or any). Again, I wonder, why is it even worth the risk? How many innocent people have to be exonerated before our states wake up and realize that we have likely killed an innocent man for a crime he did not commit? What kind of closure and justice does that bring?

Turow Critiques Death Penalty