Hank Skinner – Round Three
I last wrote about Hank Skinner's death row case in November, and just thought to check up on it again today. It seems that the Texas Attorney General's office that the DNA evidence in the case actually be tested. That this change of heart came only after a panel of nine judges grilled state attorneys about their bull-headed refusal to approve the tests, especially in light of the 45+ Texas inmates that have been exonerated based on DNA evidence, isn't much of a surprise. It became clear to me a long time ago that, for many in the criminal justice system, justice is less of a motivator than an impressive track record.
It doesn't really matter to me whether or not Skinner committed the murders he was convicted of in 1995. I'm just happy that science will finally get a crack at the evidence. I'm not a fan of the death penalty, but if we're determined to kill someone for their crimes, we ought at least do our damnest to make sure they actually committed them.
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August 8th, 2012 - 00:43
Yeah… my own brushes with the system rather sharply suggest that nobody in the DA’s office locally wishes to be known for any kind of decision-making ability. Because they have only one suspect and no proof, they have to screw with my life for as long as possible so that they can say with a straight face that they tried their best. Pun intended.
August 9th, 2012 - 12:48
Exactly, and it’s fucking criminal.