Originally Posted by
JDNSW
There are at least three questions to be asked.
1. Is the person being tried really the right one? And all DNA evidence does is establish someone's identity - it is only one link in the chain of evidence. I really doubt if even the yanks convict on it alone! (As an example, someone's DNA is on the murder weapon - but did they use it or did they just pick it up when they found it?) No not dna alone, but why would your dna be on a murder weapon? If you just found it then you probablly have an alibi anyway.
2. Do you really believe that you should risk killing the wrong person just make sure someone is killed for the crime? Must be irrefutable proof.
3. Even if it is a crime against your family - do you really want to lower yourself to the same level as the criminal? You bet ya. Would at the very least stop them doing it again. Not for negligent homicide, but for horrific pre-meditated crimes, my oath.
As I commented earlier, since you invoke the US experience - with a murder rate nearly ten times that here, they amply demonstrate that capital punishment as a means of reducing crime simply does not work.
Higher population at 301,139,947 (15 times our population and only 10 times the murders, shows their rate is actually less than ours so must be working) and widespread poverty mean more crime. Having less severe penalties definately does not deter either and in fact encourages as most in the US know the death penalty generally takes 10 years minimum to invoke.
As an aside - did anyone else notice the statistics published a few days ago that about two thirds of murder victims are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. No similar figures are available for murderers, as you don't have the tissue samples available at the time of the murder for the murderer, but I suggest that the figures would probably be similar if not higher.
A local news item - yesterday in the Dubbo court a man was remanded in custody for killing his brother with an axe. Where would the family's sympathies be here? surely it would depend on circumstances?
John