Georgia to execute death row inmate tomorrow, who could possibly be innocent

[ilikeverin]

Remember, children: this is a good thing.  Because killing an innocent person here and there is the sacrifice we must pay to make sure we can kill other people.

[ilikeverin]

I no longer support the death penalty.

Same here. I supported the death penalty but if this is how these cases are handled, then we might as well not have it. I don't want blood on my hands. And that is exactly what this is. Since this is being done in the name of the people, if a person is wrongly executed all the people are guilty.

You might want to check out the Innocence Project.  They aren't all death penalty cases, but they show we still have a ways to go in making sure our court system is as fair as possible.

[ilikeverin]

Given all that is known about the relability of eyewitnesses, I don´t think any case could ever be proven beyond a reasonable doubt if it depends solely on eyewitnesses.

I'm surprised, Gully; that's an insight that comes from cognitive science!

It's also entirely correct, and it's disgusting that the judicial system hasn't woken up to it.

[ilikeverin]

Given all that is known about the relability of eyewitnesses, I don´t think any case could ever be proven beyond a reasonable doubt if it depends solely on eyewitnesses.

I'm surprised, Gully; that's an insight that comes from cognitive science!

Oh please, that´s academic gloryhogging for one disclipine. A wide variety of research has shown this to be the case.

And besides, I´m not totally hostile to cognitive science (actually you will be happy to discover I dislike behaviourism even more) just evolutionary pschology and especially it´s "media champions".

Oh, good, good.  And you disliking behaviorism more than cog sci makes complete sense, I suppose, when considering that behaviorism denies the existence of inner states at all

So, inform us.  What evidence do you guys bring to the table against eyewitness identification?