Executed Teenager Probably Innocent Of The Crime

TalkLeft and ProfsBlawg are buzzing about the Houston Chronicle story that reveals that it is very likely that in 1993 Texas executed an innocent death row inmate named Ruben Cantu who was 17 years old when he allegedly committed the capital offense. As a fellow strong opponent of the death penalty myself, news of this story made me feel slightly ill, but also hopeful. As we approach the 1000th person executed since capital punishment was reinstated im 1997, a thought uppermost ni my mind is "Is this enough to stop the death penalty in this country?"

Right now in California we have the case of Stan "Tookie" Williams, who has a date of December 13th with the San Quentin Death Chamber. Despite having founded the Crips street gang decades ago, in prison Tookie has apparently done yeoman's work to reduce gang violence, been the subject of his own television movie starring Jamie Foxx and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. What Will Ahnuld Do?