Article: Trial is first N.D. death penalty case in more than a century

[California Sunshine]

By Stephen J. Lee
Herald Staff Writer

FARGO - Federal court officials are planning for a crowd here today when the opening arguments and testimony will start the first death penalty case in North Dakota in a century.

More http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandf...randforks_news

[Akicita]

This trial should not have ever been allowed to be heard here. I know what the results were and personally I agree with the result. If he did it, then he deserves what given to him. But ... and here's the kicker. North Dakota is an extremely conservative area. People still believe that police are infallible and that the would NEVER lie to you. The outrage this generated here insured that the trial and sentencing would be a formality. The judicial system should be ashamed of themselves for dropping the ball on this one.

[kima]

It certainly opens the door to more death penalty sentences. It is beleived that 1 in 8 DP inmates are innocent of the crimes they were sentenced to die for. (Some reports show that figure at 1 in 20). Either way, it's one too many that will die for a crime they didn't commit. I hope North Dakota looks look and hard before instituting this measure on any regular basis.
http://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/dp.htm

Human Rights Watch also has a lot of information on this subject.
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/deathpenalty/