CAPITOL LETTERS

Liberal politicians, like Sen. Rodney Ellis, are always worried about the poor little criminals who were wrongly convicted - this time. What about the families of crime victims, like the family of Mike McMahan? McMahan was murdered by Ronald Chambers in Dallas 31 years ago. Chambers is still hanging around on death row, after 3 trials, 3 convictions for capital murder, and 3 death sentences. Why don't you introduce legislation to increase compensation for the McMahan family? No, that wouldn't be the liberal thing to do, would it, Rodney?

Three trials, three convictions, and 31 years of three hots and a cot in prison? Sounds expensive. Oh, and how come it's okay to kill a live human being but it's NOT okay to provide a woman with the option of terminating a pregnancy that might not even make it full term?? You Republicans confuse me.

Um, it's the difference between taking an innocent life and the life of one who has by his own actions condemned himself to death. "Us Republicans" are a little confused by those of you who want to save murderers and kill the innocent.

And who's supposed to have the final say? YOU? I could've sworn that one of the tenets of your belief says something about casting the first stone. Oh, and Dallas County *alone* has exonerated a dozen people -- cleared by DNA evidence. You've heard of DNA evidence, haven't you? That's more than all but three states... for just one county. Under what circumstances is that justifiable?

Actually, a jury of 12 who hear the evidence get to have the final say. It's in a document called the constitution which you probably haven't read (reading the MSMs paraphrased interpretation of the document doesn't count).

Also, you are being intellectually dishonest by implying that the 12 people exonerated were sentenced to death. In fact, none of the 12 were.

Uh, Matt, Ellis' bill is to create an innocence commission, which would help innocent people from being executed. You say: '"Us Republicans" are a little confused by those of you who want to save murderers and kill the innocent.' Ellis is trying to prevent innocent people from being killed. I hope you can agree that we should at least reserve the death penalty for the guilty and not execute the innocent, as may have been done in at least three recent cases, including one from the Dallas area, Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed for supposedly setting an arson fire that killed his three daughters. Only now, a panel of arson experts have concluded that the arson evidence that convicted him was not analyzed in a scientifically valid manner. They concluded the fire was just an accident and he was an innocent man executed.

We need to have a moratorium on executions. Willingham was executed in 2004, which shows that mistakes are still happening. Innocent people are still being executed.

Janet, you cannot point to one executed prisoner in Texas, let alone 3, that was conclusively proven to be innocent. Each claim to which you are referring, including Willingham's, is created by death penalty opponents finding so-called experts after the fact to rebut the findings of a jury. In any legal proceeding you will find that each side can find an "expert" to say that side is right.

Your argument that a moratorium should be put on executions would cripple our criminal justice system if brought to its logical conclusion. Should we also put a moratorium on prison sentences since there are probably innocent people in prison too? If you believe the ludicrous argument of many death-penalty opponents that life in prison is a harsher punishment than death, this is an even greater injustice.

Based on your comment, Matt, no one is capable of providing enough evidence to satisfy you of one's innocence. One wrongful execution is too many. And if a person is wrongly convicted and is subsequently released from prison, fantastic. But how do you "undo" an execution? A moratorium wouldn't harm anyone but the mob that's thirsty for blood.

Think you may be interested in this story. After I read this book Journey Toward Justice. I am now my own Journey Toward Justice. I feel the more people know about these issues maybe some things will change. At one time I wrote this about the book I read. Who And Where Is Dennis Fritz, You may say after reading John Grisham's Wonderful Book "The Innocent man", Grisham's First non-fiction book. The Other Innocent Man hardly mentioned in "The Innocent Man" has his own compelling and fascinating story to tell in "Journey Toward Justice". John Grisham endorsed Dennis Fritz's Book on the Front Cover. Dennis Fritz wrote his Book Published by Seven Locks Press, to bring awareness about False Convictions, and The Death Penalty. "Journey Toward Justice" is a testimony to the Triumph of the Human Spirit and is a Stunning and Shocking Memoir. Dennis Fritz was wrongfully convicted of murder after a swift trail. The only thing that saved him from the Death Penalty was a lone vote from a juror. "The Innocent Man" by John Grisham is all about Ronnie Williamson, Dennis Fritz's was his co-defendant. Ronnie Williamson was sentenced to the Death Penalty. Both were exonerated after spending 12 years in prison. Both Freed by a simple DNA test, The real killer was one of the Prosecution's Key Witness. John Grisham's "The Innocent Man" tells half the story. Dennis Fritz's Story needs to be heard. Read about how he wrote hundreds of letters and appellate briefs in his own defense and immersed himself in an intense study of law. He was a school teacher and a ordinary man from Ada Oklahoma, whose wife was brutally murdered in 1975. On May 8, 1987 while raising his young daughter alone, he was put under arrest and on his way to jail on charges of rape and murder. Since then, it has been a long hard road filled with twist and turns. Dennis Fritz is now on his "Journey Toward Justice". He never blamed the Lord and solely relied on his faith in God to make it through. He waited for God's time and never gave up.

For those who blindly oppose a measure meant to provent the innocent from being wrongfully charged and/or convicted, I say shame on you. For those who - in an effort to feel safer - would prefer to believe that all persons charged are guilty, I hope ironic fate does not come to visit you and/or someone you know or love. Until then, be careful whom you send to the wolves.

As stated more eloquently than I, “When you are willing to sacrifice the sheep at the edge of the flock to the wolves by virtue of the fact that you do not agree with them, it will not be long before you yourself will face the wolf, and wolves aren’t discriminating.”