re: #3 Backwoods_Sleuth

And those innocent folks on death row?
Merely necessary collateral damage to keep all those future possible murderers scared.

good freaking grief…

Mill addresses that point. If, he writes, the chance of condemning an innocent man is substantial, then the death penalty ought not be used, and in practice will turn out not to be useable or useful. But if, as in England even in his day, the courts deem even a shadow of doubt sufficient reason not to impose the death penalty, then he reasons that the death penalty is appropriate. And this is why PA has decided on the moratorium—-its courts, and its whole government, are not noted for integrity. But Utah is another matter, which is why Utah has made its decision.

Thank you, thank you both, for downdinging the thinking of one of the greatest ethical minds of all time. It’s nice to have it out in the open.