Juries and the Death Penalty
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* The excellent article on justice by Greg Hernandez (“Deadlock of Moral Convictions,” April 12) left me disgusted with our sentencing system.
That a few misguided persons, unable to differentiate between homicide (the murder of fellow humans) and pesticide (the execution of criminals), are permitted to impede justice and subvert the law of the land calling for capital punishment is preposterous.
Those who postulate that capital punishment is not a deterrent need only compare the recidivism rates of those executed with those who have been paroled, or escaped, from prison. Those morally opposed to capital punishment should obviously be barred from serving as jurors on capital cases just as those opposed to racial integration would be barred from serving on a case concerning racial discrimination.
A prospective juror who is dishonest about his philosophical opposition and subsequently deadlocks the jury because of his beliefs should be required, at the very least, to pay the expenses of the murderer during his incarceration.
DONALD N. DRAPER
Dana Point
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