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TITLE:
A Proposal to Mandate the Proof of DNA or Video Evidence to Convict a Capital Crime
MAJOR AREAS TO BE AFFECTED:
Court System, Prison System, Death Row Facilities, State Crime Labs
JUSTIFICATION:
There is a major need for this act to ensure that every United State citizen`s Right to Due Process is upheld in the event that they are being charged for a capital crime, or one that is punishable by death. Since DNA evidence has become more accurate, there have been 271 exonerations in the United States. This means that these 271 innocent people could have died because of improper eyewitness identification, invalidated or improper forensic science, false or wrongful confessions due to police misconduct, prosecutorial misconduct, informants or snitches with wrongful information, and bad lawyering on the part of the defense; and many have. These guiltless victims have been persecuted for a crime they did not commit and ultimately lost their lives because of it. The American Justice System is one that was founded on the premise of just that – justice. This proposal is being put into action to protect the Rights of the Accused and the Right to Due Process that every American citizen is guaranteed by the Constitution.
PROPOSAL FOR ACTION :
This proposal will put regulations on conviction standards for capital crimes. So, one may not be tried or convicted of a capital crime unless there is DNA evidence or video evidence that conclusively proves that the accused is guilty. Further, these standards will be in addition to those that are already in place. Also, this has no jurisdiction over any crimes except capital offenses which means that the accused could still be tried for life without parole, etc.
RESULTS TO BE EXPECTED :
After this proposal is enacted, it will be expected that there will be no innocent people in the Death Row population.
A Proposal to Mandate the Proof of DNA or Video Evidence to Convict a Capital Crime
MAJOR AREAS TO BE AFFECTED:
Court System, Prison System, Death Row Facilities, State Crime Labs
JUSTIFICATION:
There is a major need for this act to ensure that every United State citizen`s Right to Due Process is upheld in the event that they are being charged for a capital crime, or one that is punishable by death. Since DNA evidence has become more accurate, there have been 271 exonerations in the United States. This means that these 271 innocent people could have died because of improper eyewitness identification, invalidated or improper forensic science, false or wrongful confessions due to police misconduct, prosecutorial misconduct, informants or snitches with wrongful information, and bad lawyering on the part of the defense; and many have. These guiltless victims have been persecuted for a crime they did not commit and ultimately lost their lives because of it. The American Justice System is one that was founded on the premise of just that – justice. This proposal is being put into action to protect the Rights of the Accused and the Right to Due Process that every American citizen is guaranteed by the Constitution.
PROPOSAL FOR ACTION :
This proposal will put regulations on conviction standards for capital crimes. So, one may not be tried or convicted of a capital crime unless there is DNA evidence or video evidence that conclusively proves that the accused is guilty. Further, these standards will be in addition to those that are already in place. Also, this has no jurisdiction over any crimes except capital offenses which means that the accused could still be tried for life without parole, etc.
RESULTS TO BE EXPECTED :
After this proposal is enacted, it will be expected that there will be no innocent people in the Death Row population.
