"Of all the actions carried out by the state, none warrants more cautious implementation and stringent review than the imposition of the death penalty. Yet in Alabama,this most solemn responsibility remains fraught with inconsistencies and inequities. The structure of the state's criminal justice system and the power given to its trial and appellate judges compromise and limit the ability of capital defendants to get a fair trial and appropriate sentencing."
In October of 2005, the ACLU published an exhaustive report on the inconsistincies and outright fraud that accompanies the death penalty's application in Alabama. This study is a fantastic way to familiarize yourself with the machinations of the Southern criminal justice system and learn why the death penalty is ineffective, unfairly applied, and simply wrong.
