I believe the death penalty is an appropriate and effective punishment for certain offenses. I strongly support, however, the use of new DNA techniques that can make our criminal justice system fairer and more accurate. I believe that we must take every possible precaution to ensure the integrity and fairness of the system when we apply this ultimate penalty. We must be vigilant in not allowing race, class or absence of competent counsel to have any influence in such crucial decisions. Source: Associated Press
Three Strikes should apply only to truly violent crimes GORE: [Regarding race-biased sentencing], the disparities between crack & powder cocaine are not justified by the scientific evidence. The practices of many law-enforcement agencies need to be BRADLEY: The issue of the criminal justice system is deeper than simply the death penalty. There is unequal justice in this country, not only racial profiling, not only crack cocaine, but also in terms of kids getting mandatory sentences for first-time non-violent drug use and being put away 20 years.
That should not happen. GORE: We should review of the kinds of penalty that are calculated under the [policy of] three strikes and youre out. The focus ought to be on truly violent crime. We need to continue reducing the crime rate, and community policing is a good strategy. But we also need more prevention. BRADLEY. This is a deeper moral issue for the country. We have to stop denying the plight of black Americans and the indignities that theyre experiencing. Source: (X-ref to Bradley) Democrat debate in Harlem, NYC Al Gore on Crime : Feb 21, 2000
Supports death penalty; no moratorium for new DNA techniques Q: What about a moratorium on the death penalty based on new DNA evidence that has released numerous minority convicts? A: I strongly support the inquiry under way right now in the US Justice Department to see whether or not the racial disparity on the surface of the data justifies action of a kind that theyre now exploring. I do support the death penalty, but I do not support a moratorium at this time. This inquiry in the Justice Department should be pursued. Source: Democrat debate in Harlem, NYC
Al Gore on Crime : May 16, 1999 Death penalty for murdering federal officers Al Gore has also worked for new measures to protect our men and women in blue – such as help in purchasing life-saving bullet-proof vests, and an expansion of the death penalty for drug kingpins, murderers of federal law enforcement officers, and nearly 60 additional kinds of violent felons. Source: www. AlGore2000. com/issues/crime. html 5/16/99 Moratorium on executions Q: What impact could a president have on the death penalty? A: First of all, moral leadership [via] the bully pulpit.
And second, there are now increasing numbers of federal crimes that provide for the death penalty right under the Q: What would be your message to Bush about the double execution expected tonight? A: Well, if I was Bush I would be pretty ashamed. I would do what Governor Ryan did in Illinois, and declare a moratorium, or urge a moratorium in Texas, in order to determine how many defendants have been adequately represented by competent lawyers, and to review the whole process by which those who get executed in Texas are overwhelmingly minorities.
And crimes are committed by all segments of society, and I would hope that George Bush will wake up to it because it is going to haunt him for the next few weeks, there are going to be all these executions coming. There is one now involving a retarded man. Source: CNN: Burden of Proof Ralph Nader on Crime : Aug 9, 2000 Death penalty does not deter Q: Isnt the death penalty really a states rights issue? A: Well, it used to be, but now there are numerous federal crimes which provide for the death penalty, thats a recent development.
And a president, I think, should take a strong stand. The death penalty has been shown, in study after study, not to deter homicides; it has been shown to be discriminatorily applied to the poor and the defenseless, especially defendants who dont have lawyers who stay awake at trial. Source: CNN: Burden of Proof Ralph Nader on Crime : Jul 23, 2000 Some executed by death penalty were innocent A: There were 87 capital crime convictions overturned by [research on their cases conducted by] journalism students.
Undoubtedly, some of those executed were Source: National Press Club interview (aired on NPR) Ralph Nader on Crime : Jun 25, 2000 Death penalty does not deter & is discriminatory Since I was a law student, I have been against the death penalty. It does not deter. It is severely discriminatory against minorities, especially since theyre given no competent legal counsel defense in many cases. Its a system that has to be perfect. You cannot execute one innocent person. No system is perfect.
And to top it off, for those of you who are interested in the economics it, it costs more to ursue a capital case toward execution than it does to have full life imprisonment without parole. Source: Meet the Press interview George W. Bush on Crime : Jun 2, 2000 Use DNA evidence for death penalty cases Bush insists that the 30-day reprieve granted to death row inmate Ricky McGinn was done on procedural-not emotional-grounds. The delay-the first such reprieve Bush has issued since he took office-will allow defense attorneys to seek DNA testing of crime scene evidence.
To the extent that DNA can prove for certain innocence or guilt, I think we need to use DNA, Bush said. The increasing trend toward the use of such science-based evidence has reshaped the national debate over capital punishment. Its a case where were dealing with the mans innocence or guilt, Bush said. His recent comments reflect a new sensibility from just a few months ago, when he stated emphatically: Theres no doubt in my mind that each person who has been executed in our state was guilty of the crime committed.