Stay Tuned for the Exciting Conclusion

**Unchained** · January 5th, 2006, 08:30 PM

RICHMOND, Va. - Gov. Mark R. Warner on Thursday ordered DNA evidence retested to determine whether a man convicted of rape and murder was innocent when he was executed in 1992.

If the testing shows Roger Keith Coleman did not rape and kill his sister-in-law in 1981, it will be the first time in the United States a person has been exonerated by scientific testing after his execution, according to death penalty opponents.

Warner said he ordered the tests because of technological advances that could provide a level of forensic certainty not available in the 1980s.

**imported_MoonlightGraham** · January 5th, 2006, 08:32 PM

so what happens if they prove him innocent? Send his family a "my bad" card.

**Unchained** · January 5th, 2006, 08:36 PM

What happens is the way prisons are run in this country will receive alot of scrutiny, and some changes will occur. For good or bad remains to be seen.

**89bluedevil** · January 5th, 2006, 09:37 PM

This could possibly be the first step in trying to ban the death penalty in Virginia. I'm not sure what Governor Warner hopes to prove by doing this after so long. However, if this shows he was innocent, this could be the first step in governor elect Kaine doing away with a practice he opposes.

January 5th, 2006, 09:52 PM

I'd say a huge amount of money for the family.

And a huge change in the way VA does it's executions. Full DNA and other analysis to make sure a person who you pay to keep in prison for 20 yrs is actually guilty.

Or perhaps. Just perhaps.
If all the DNA and everything including eye witness accounts says their guilty a quicker and shorter trip to the chair or table for the shot or the shock of your life.

I personally think once your guilty beyond any hope and now with DNA that is almost a surety. Why keep a person on death row through 20 years of appeals? So the state and tax payers can pay for it?

If it takes 20 years to prove your innocence. Then why did it just take 2 hrs to convict you? Something wrong ain't there?

**imported_Sportsman** · January 5th, 2006, 11:09 PM

Shouldn't we always be seeking the truth?

**imported_red_66** · January 5th, 2006, 11:58 PM

This is a little off topic, but what did they ever decide about the Attorney General's race that was too close to call?

**gcdevil22** · January 6th, 2006, 12:55 AM

now someone please justify the death penalty to me

**pvfan** · January 6th, 2006, 01:32 AM

I'm pretty liberal but I support the death penalty. Is it used to much? Yes, however murder should be punished with death. In many cases there is no doubt who the murderer was and that is when the death penalty needs to be carried out.

January 6th, 2006, 12:50 PM

How many people has actually set on a jury trial? I did at 26. And on a grand jury trial at 34. Your told to make a decision based on the facts of the case and beyond a reasonable doubt.
You know how hard that is honestly.
After hearing hours upon hours of testimony and all the different version of how this happened from lawyers, and all the witness credability accounts. Then also your fellow jurors.
It's a lot harder to know you control someone's destiny than you think. Esp. a person you have never seen before and don't know from Adam and your to decide their innocence or their guilt.
DNA and eyewitness accounts yeah they help a lot. But back in the day it was all about who believes who and it's not changed a lot today. Just in some extreme cases.

Is the death penalty something that should be allowed? Yes.
As i put in one subject related to this.

I come in and kill your family. All of them from your wife to your kids. Why because i needed money, and i was just gonna rob the place, but they happened to be home. I couldn't have no witnesses to me robbing the place, so i killed them.
So your innocent wife and kids were at home, in their home, susposedly their safe haven, not bothering anyone. And someone comes in and kills them because they want or need money.
What would you want for the person who forever changed your life and murdered your family?
To set in prison for the rest of their life, while you pay for their prison time.
Yeah that would make me feel good. They killed my family, yet i am supporting them while they are living off the system in prison.
They will die of natural causes.
While your wife and children, well all your plans and dreams are gone forever over one person.
Is there a need for the death penalty. Yes in some cases there is.

About the subject. All this will do is one or two things. Based on what comes out of it.
It will improve the way trials are conducted with more DNA testing etc. to help to prove to prove quilty or innocence, which many should remember you didn't have all this back years ago.
Or two it will help put an end to the death penalty. Due to the backlash of lawsuits it will open up. And the amount of new request to re-open cases it will cause, plus the money it will cost over lawsuits and just redoing cases.

Going back to one thing. Research and study. Because if you ever set on a jury of any type. You will be ask to do this. Make your decision based on the facts of the case, and beyond a reasonable doubt. Until you set on that jury, your never realize what those words really mean, when your looking at someone and hold their fate in your hands.
Something to think about.